Pop Princess: Wonder Blake
by britneyBlake
Summary: Wonder's rise to stardom from average 15 year-old to Megastar is not an easy one.This story documents her relationships w/ fellow popstars:BFF/ rival-Kayla, her first love- Freddy Porter & life from the release of her 1st single "Baby One More Time" to her mental breakdown and remarkable comeback, Britney Spears / Christina Aguilera crossover. Based on Rachel Cohn's Pop Princess
1. The Discovery

**Hey guys! So this story is based off of the book "Pop Princess" by Rachel Cohn, but because there was no category for that book, i put it under _Gingerbread_ instead. As it turns out i happen to be a huge Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera fan, so when i read the book _Pop Princess _i couldnt help but notice the simlilarities between the character Wonder Blake and my favorite singers. So this story is kind of me combining the career paths of both Britney and Christina and rewriting into the character Wonder Blake. Although the story will have many facts from Britney and Christina's lifes such as the name of songs, albulms, and tour titles; there will be also alot of made up aspects as to Wonder's personal life based off of rumors about Christina and Britney, facts from the book, and of course, much of it will be just made up by me! Please review and tell me what you think, because i am always open to new ideas!**

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><p>My life as a pop princess began at dairy queen. I could tell you that at the time I was your average fifteen-year-old girl with slacker grades, dysfunctional family, bad hair days, and a love for singing out loud to every pop song on the radio. But that was the Wonder Blake who seemed doomed to live out her junior year as a social oddity at her new high school in Cape Cod.<p>

The other Wonder Blake, the one who slaved away at the DQ every afternoon, she sang aloud to every song on the radio to drown out customer's voices so her mind could focus on her one true ambition: escape. Sing-aloud Wonder dreamed on escape from Cape Cod, escape from high school, and escape to Somewhere, Anywhere (okay, preferably some place like New York or L.A, where a promising music career could be easily pursued). She also longed for an escape from her parents whose marriage was on a nuclear meltdown, escape from the sorrow that had overwhelmed our household ever since my sister's death; and the sorrow that had been there long before that.

And so it happened that I was discovered by Gerald Tiggs, a powerful talent manager, at a chance meeting at DQ. Tig (as he was known) walked into the DQ at the end of my late shift one Saturday evening. I was mopping the floor, using the mop as a pretend microphone as I strutted across the wet floor, a Discman on my ears as I sang out loud "All I Could Do Is Cry", one of my favorite Etta James songs. I had no idea a customer was lurking until Katie, my one friend in my new hometown and my coworker, practically knocked me over, sprung the headphones from my ears, and shouted "Wonder! The guy's trying to talk to you!"

I looked up. Labor Day had passed, taking the Dairy Queens late night customers with it. Or so I thought.

"Don't I know you? You look so familiar." He said.

Of course I recognized him. Who could forget those killer-shark eyes and the fine Italian tailored suits he wore even during 99% humidity. I told him, "Think a little harder."

He did, and then he knew. His killer eyes had a flashed of sympathy before they brightened up. "You're Lucky's kid sister."

"That's me." I twirled my long dirty-blonde hair around my finger. My older sister had been dead almost 2 years now, yet it seemed as if I would be known as "Lucky's kid sister" for the rest of my life. I wouldn't mind if that legally became my name if it meant I got only 5 extra minutes with her.

"I forgot you sang too." He paused, as if seeing me for the first time. "Yes, you were a B-Kid also."

I nodded, just a little embarrassed. That was my old life, back in Cambridge, when my sister and I trekked every Saturday to a television studio in Boston to tape _Beantown Kidz_, or_ B-Kidz _as it became known, a kid's variety show that developed quite an audience across the nation. In the time since that cancellation the former stars had emerged to become major film, television, and music stars. My sister Lucky had been slated to become one of those _B-Kidz_ alums.

"Do you have a demo tape?" Musicians struggle for years to hear a major talent scout ask them that question.

"No," I was embarrassed. Ever since Lucky's death, trying to pursue a music career didn't seem to land at the top of the to-do list. Katie, who had been watching the whole scene, was sitting at the edge of her chair, mouth open wide.

Tig raised one eyebrow at me and had a look of disbelief. "Would you like to make one?" I gasped, unsuccessfully hiding my excitement. "I've got a little recording studio set up in my summer house on the beach, and I've got a soon-to-be ex-wife back in Manhattan that my lawyer has advised me to avoid. I think it'd be fun, help an old man have a good time in this beautiful, boring town." I probably would have gone into shock right there if it wasn't for my mother, who happened to walk in just in time to hear the end of our conversation.

"Tig! How are you? It's been so long! What are you doing in this godforsaken town?" My mother's face began to glow as she took in Tig.

"Ah, Marie! Yes, it's been too long." I could see Tig's forehead crease as he assessed my mother before him. She had changed a lot in the past 2 years. She had gained about fifty pounds, three new worry lines, and seemingly permanent bags underneath her eyes. "I was just thinking Wonder here could make a demo tape, I forgot how wonderful her voice is." Tig laughed at his own play on my name. My parents had been told they were not able to conceive children. Seven years into their marriage Lucky had arrived to prove the medical system wrong. Two years later, their second unexpected wonder followed, Wonder Anna Blake, me. By the time my little brother arrived less than 18 months later, my parents no longer believed in miracles. They named him Charles and my younger sister (who was born about 3 years after that) is named Zoë. She was only 8 years old when Lucky died.

"Wonder would love to!" my mother blurted out, obviously just as excited as I was, if not more. I hadn't seen her that excited since Lucky was at the brink of signing her record deal. "Yes, she has always had an incredible voice. She used to be an amazing dancer; but she hasn't done any of that since-"she cut herself short. I know she was going to say since Lucky passed and I practically gave up all hopes of ever having a musical career.

Tig scribbled his number on a napkin and handed it to my mom. "I'll be in town through the end of September" he told her before he walked out of the DQ and into his Mercedes.

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><p>In my list of ambitions, becoming a musician was always at the top. I had been singing before I could talk and by the time I was 3 years old I would put on a show with the soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" for anyone who listen (including my stuffed animals). When I was old enough to take dance lessons I would come home only to practice the routine for another 3 hours and I would have Lucky grade my dancing A to F.<p>

Anything music-related was a passion of mine, even before it was a hobby of Lucky's. It was my one way to escape the sorrow real life brought me. If it wasn't for my constant asking Lucky to help me make up dances and help me make perform, she probably would have never gotten into all that. But she was good at it, so it only made sense for them to take Lucky on _Beantown Kidz _back when we both auditioned. She had a very good voice.

The first time we auditioned I was about 6 years old. My grandmother saw an ad for it in the local newspaper and convinced my mom to drive us down to Boston and wait in line with hundreds of other kids with the same dream. They brought us in the room in groups of 20 and had we each sing a segment of any song we wanted. When it was my turn, I opened up the box of 50 cassettes I brought with me and asked the man to choose which one he wanted to hear. The man looked at me as if he didn't believe I had memorized all of them and picked a random tape. The song was an old Billy Holiday song (one of my mom's favorites). After I finished the song, everyone in the room burst into applaud and cheered. At the time, I was positive I would get the part. I was wrong.

As it turns out, the man who hears the auditions is not the man who makes up the criteria rules. _Beantown Kidz _was supposed to star teenagers; I was 6 and Lucky was 8. But the talent scout did not give up on us. He was sure to get all our contact information and promised that if we could audition again once we were old enough, that he could get Lucky and me on the show.

In the meantime, I filled up my résumé with performing at local weddings, parties, baseball games, and talent shows. I had become locally popular. When I was 9 years old I performed on national television on the show _Star Search _(a competition for all ages on who has the best talent). Although I ended up coming in second to a black boy about 2 years older than me, Lucky told me that getting that far was an amazing achievement and that competition meant sometimes you had to lose; I really didn't like that, but I thanked Lucky for the advice anyways.

All my life, everyone has told what an amazing voice I had, but to me, Lucky's opinion counted the most. She was my older sister and I wanted to be just like her. So what if I was the more musically passionate and talented one? Lucky was talented to, and when my mom got the call backs from _Beantown Kidz _when I was 11, they apparently thought she was special too.

Being a part of _Beantown Kidz_ was the best feeling in the world. I was finally around other kids that understood what it was like to have a sincere passion for music. I finally had a chance to run away from the terrors of my early childhood. It was like a full-time summer camp for kids like me and Lucky. I was the youngest person on the set and I always looked up to the other kids. Lucky had made 2 best friends on the show: Kayla, and Trina. It was with those girls that Lucky would have signed her record deal with as the girl group _Trinity_, if she wouldn't have walked in front of the drunk driver that would lead to her death earlier that very day.

After Lucky's death, the other girls didn't think it would be right to continue the group without her. Since then, Kayla has gone on to become a popular pop singer, and Trina is signed with another R&B group called _Destiny's Child._ It's so weird to think about how much has changed since _Beantown Kidz_ was cancelled only 2 and a half years ago. So many of us moved on to become famous movie stars or recording artists, one of us is dead, and me? I'm stuck here in the middle of nowhere. Why in the world would I be bitter?

Now my main focus was to get out of High School and this poor excuse of a town. My freshman year, the year Lucky had died, had flown by in a haze of C-minus grades and crying jags in the bathroom in between classes. I had no real friends; I didn't think I even knew _how_ to make friends. Lucky was my best friend, and all my others were costars from _B-Kidz _that had been schooled on set with us. After the show was over, I failed to continue anything in my musical career. Money was tight in the family so I was forced to attend a public high school. My grades didn't impress my parents at all, but that year they pretty much let everything slide for a while.

Eventually I made some "friends" at school. They didn't hang out with me because they liked me, but more because I was on TV. It was with these girls that I was caught smoking in the bathroom and busted for skipping school. My mom's form of punishment was to move me away from these people and that town. To her, it didn't matter that it was the first cigarette, and that I only skipped school because it seemed completely pointless to go since it was only a half day. Dad said we had to move because we were broke; so that meant goodbye to my hometown, and hello to my once vacation-home turned permanent establishment.

"So I heard you're going to be a superstar!" said my little brother Charles as I walked into the kitchen. "Stupid fucking record people. Don't do it Wonder." To my brother, record deal meant death. I sat down on a wobbly chair in front of our cracked glass table. Our whole house was in desperate need of renovation, but the lawsuit against the drunk driver that had killed Lucky cost our family big time. Sure, the suit put the guy was put where he belonged, in jail, but it seriously dried us up financially.

"Hey, I won't have any 13 year old cursing!"My dad scolded him.

"So can I curse when I turn 14?" Charles said sarcastically. My dad almost cracked a smile.

"How about this, you can curse whenever you want as long as you have a GPA equal to 4.0, and the same goes for record deals." My dad turned to me. "you can pursue your music career only if your grades are improved tremendously this year." I rolled my eyes, obviously knowing that wasn't going to happen.

"When you're famous, can I have your autograph?" asked Zoe. I laughed.

"Sure, but only if you're not famous before me!" I told her. Zoe was one of the things that kept me from literally having a breakdown after Lucky's death. She was the only one who could bring light and happiness into our family. With Lucky's light blonde hair and my blue eyes, I would say Zoe was the perfect combination of the both of us, getting both our best features.

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><p>About an hour later, I heard a knock on my bedroom door before Katie and her twin brother, Henry, aka Science Project, walked in. Henry and Katie lived next door; I'd been hanging out with them every summer since we were babies.<p>

Katie flopped onto my bed. "Guess what! Mom told us. Only the second week of school, and it's already cancelled all this week! They found asbestos in the locker rooms so they were forced to close down the whole school so we don't all die!"

I did a gospel _Messiah_ jig around my room singing "Halleluiah". My initial week at Devonport High had been beyond painful. A Summer becoming a permanent townie? Who does she think she is?

Katie threw what I call her "popular kit" onto my bed. It was filled with beauty and celeb magazines, makeup samples, and hair accessories- her idea of Sunday entertainment. If there could be an award for Most Determined To Be Popular Despite Her Acne and Braces and Kmart Clothes Collection, Katie had nailed it.

Katie tossed me a soap opera magazine "Check out the cover- I brought this one special for you" I quickly turned over the magazine. There he was, my reason for living: Will Nieves. He is the star of _South Coast, _the one soap I never miss. Henry made a_ blech_ face. In the last year, he had grown very tall, but way gawky. His thin, dark blond hair had turned golden from the summer rays, and his usually pale skin had turned pink and healthy. He almost looked cute, except for the fact that his pants looked as if they would fall right off of his pale, skinny, white ass. Henry/Science Project looked like both his name and nickname. He had that _aw shucks _going with a pleasant puppy dog face, but he also had perpetually wrinkled brows with an intense stare because his head was always computing.

"If you guys are seriously going to sit here all day slobbering over _Will Nieves_ then I think I'm going to leave."

"Charles is going to hang out with the pseudo-cool skater dudes if you wanna hang with him." I said before he left.

I turned to Katie "Have you seen Doug Chase working at that pizza restaurant? He is so hot!" I said, talking about my mega-crush. I had been crushing on him all summer, though really I had been crushing on him since the summer after fourth grade where he caught me in a game of Marco Polo at the community pool. He had crystal blue eyes, tattoos covering both his upper arms, and was practically a rock star in Devonport- everyone heard his band play at the Fourth of July festival. Even though he was the most popular senior at Devonport, I still couldn't stop fantasizing about him. I was fifteen years old I still haven't seriously kissed a guy (not counting a random encounter in the _B-Kidz _dressing room with Freddy Porter, a fellow B-Kid who went on to become a member in a monster-popular boy band). My resolution was that I would have a boyfriend, and that boyfriend was going to be Doug Chase. Lucky always said I knew how to dream big.

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><p>Tig's summer house was less than a mile from ours. Mom stepped out of our beat-up Volvo to admire his three-story mansion. "Wouldn't it be nice to have a house like that" she remarked.<p>

"You mean not falling apart" I said.

Tig came outside to greet us, "Hello Marie. Thank you so much for bringing her. I'll make sure I'll call you when she's done." This confused my mom a little bit. She had definitely planned on staying rather than just dropping me off.

We walked through to the back of the house and out through the back yard. He led me to a large garage a punched in a code into the security system. "My sanctuary," he announced.

The garage door opened to reveal a booth with a glass wall separating it from a recording console room, a small separate room with a TV and a stereo, and a bookcase full of CD's. "Cool!" I said.

Tig shrugged. "Eh, this is really just a Play Station for a guy who thought he could be a record producer but turned out to be better at managing talent instead. Strictly juvenile, this spread." I sat down on the stool, below the microphone.

"Got a favorite song you wanna try out?" He asked me.

"I'm Ready" It was the last song Lucky had written.

Tig looked at me funny. "Are you sure? That's maybe not the strongest song of hers but, okay. I don't have music on it so why don't you just sing it straight out." I sang,

_I've know you so long_

_We've been friends forever_

_You've always been there for me_

_I'll always be there for you_

_We've waited so long_

_Now I'm ready_

_I'm ready to love you_

I thought my voice was confident and sounded good but Tig stopped me. " Do you know how you sound?" he asked.

"Pretty damn good?" I guessed.

"You sound like Lucky, sweet, innocent, and nice. Sing like Wonder." He thought for a moment. "Wonder, what were you singing that day I walked in on you in Dairy Queen?"

"I was singing Etta James." I answered. She was my all time favorite singer. Lucky didn't really like classical and R&B as much as I did.

"Okay, great. Sing me something by Etta James." I smiled. That was something I had sung enough times to know I could get it right.

_At Last_

_My love has come along_

_My lonely days are over_

_And life is like a song_

"You're showing off now, Wonder." Tig said into the microphone, but I kept singing anyways.

_And I found a dream that I could speak to_

_A dream that I could call my own_

_I found a thrill to press my cheek to_

_A thrill that I have never known_

Tig smiled big. He smiled as if he had just won the lottery. He had me sing out the song many times each with a different style and then however I wanted. He told me the natural one was the best. "What other female singer's do you like?" he asked me.

"Hmm, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Madonna, Janet Jackson"

"Do you like any pop singers? You know, like young ones?"

"Oh sure, I like the Spice Girls, Destiny's Child, and I like Kayla okay." I honestly couldn't think of that many young female singers other than those I had named. Pop music was fun and great to dance to, but there really needed to be some originality to the business.

"You're not going to go all Diva on me now, are you Wonder?" He would know, he was Kayla's manager after all.

"Not if you're nice to me." I said.

"Girl, you don't even know what a natural you are, do you?"


	2. Making The Demo: Just Be Free

**Hey guys! I don't know if you have ever heard of the unofficial record released by Christina Aguilera called "Just be free", but it was released without her permission once she became famous, even though it was just a juvenile demo record she recorded when she was only fifteen. This chapter is pretty much about Wonder recording her first demo and stuff like that. i hope you like it! Please review.**

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><p>After Tig had me sing Etta James multiple times, he decided to test my writing ability. "I don't really have any original music that you can sing to. Have you ever written a song?" he asked me.<p>

"Yes, but that was really more of Lucky's thing, not mine." When I was at dance class, Lucky went to guitar lessons. She always loved to sit down with her guitar and write songs.

"You know I used to write songs back when I was a kid." He reminisced.

"Really? Have you ever given any of it to your clients like Kayla?" I wondered.

"My music? Oh no, none of it is that good. Besides, it wouldn't be appropriate for a pop star anyways." He told me. "What about you? Written anything worth singing?"

"Sure, I guess. I have a whole book of songs at home." Most of them I couldn't remember by heart. It wasn't as if I played an instrument or something to help me remember the melody. Instruments were always something Lucky had an interest in.

"Alright, well whatever you remember. Just sing it into the microphone." I sighed. I wasn't sure if any of my lyrics were any good, if I could even remember it. If not, I guessed I would just have to improvise.

_On your feet, on your feet_

_Oh, oh _

_Moving to the beat, ya_

_Move it to the rhythm_

_Yes we're hoping, and feeling free_

_Music's pumping, so get on your feet_

_Take a chance, and feel the beat_

_Not gonna lose nothing, so dance with me_

Tig began to nod his head.

_Just be free_

_Never stop moving, no way_

_On your feet_

_Move it to the rhythm_

I looked at Tig when I was finished. "How was it?" I asked shyly. "I know it's not very personal or anything but it was the first song of mine to pop in my head."

"No, it was good. It was a fun song, a dance song. That type doesn't usually come naturally for writers." He explained. "If we added some type of techno dub-step in the background I think we would have ourselves a very catchy club song." I was surprised. I had never really liked electronic club music, and now Tig was telling me I wrote a club song. "Tell you what. If you have any more songs of yours written down that are as catchy as that one, then bring them in so we can record them."

"What are we going to do with them once they are recorded?" I asked him. I liked the songs that I had written, but if I knew that people were actually going to hear them I would definitely want to tweak them a bit. Or just write entirely new songs.

"Not much. We will just use them as a demo to send out to record companies as a tool to get into the music business. They won't go on sale or be heard by the general public or anything."

"Okay, cool. Yeah, I'll definitely bring in some other songs."

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><p>I spent the rest of my week off at school recording the songs I had brought into the studio. Because this was the first time Tig was ever hearing these songs, we decided to just record without music and maybe add in something later. After all, this was just horseplay.<p>

A surprise waited for me on the second day of recording. "Girl! Look at who seriously filled out that bikini top!" said Trina, my soul-sister.

"Trina! What are you doing here?" I said as I crossed my arms over my full C-cup boobs. Trina was gorgeous. With long tall legs, flawless dark skin, and tight cornrow beads swinging down her back, she could have been a model.

Trina held me tight. We hadn't seen each other much after Lucky's death. "Oh, Tig just called me into town because he said he had discovered a new talent!" she smiled at me. "I wasn't surprised when he mentioned it was you." Trina had recently signed with Pop Life Records as the lead singer of the R&B girl group, _Destiny's Child_. The group had a few generally popular promotional singles, but they have yet to release their debut album. "So are you going to lunch with me or what?" she asked me.

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><p>Because of my intense obsession with Doug, I couldn't help but to recommend the pizza shop he worked at for lunch. "Check out the guy at the counter Treen, I have a major crush." I said referring to Doug.<p>

"This sure is one white town you live in" Trina commented. I ignored the comment as I walked in Doug's direction.

"Hey, Doug!" I squealed as I sat down at the corner. Automatically, I mentally cursed myself for being so lame.

"Hey… Wanda." Doug said back. A group of girls at a nearby table were giggling. I looked over at them only to find Jen Burke, the new bane of my existence. For whatever reason, Jen and her popular clique of girls at school had targeted me as their victim. The fact that I had been a B-Kid was apparently a bug up Jen's ass. Even worse, Jen and I shared the same crush. According to Katie, who always tried to listen in on gossip, Jen and Doug had a serious friends-with-benefits relationship going on.

"No, my name is Wonder." I replied. We had known each other since the 4th grade! Why would he pretend not to know my name? "So, can I have two slices of pizza, extra cheese and pepperoni?" I asked.

Trina interrupted him as he began to write down the order. "Wrong. She will have a turkey grinder with lettuce, tomato, and very light mayo…"

"A coke," I interrupted but Trina plowed on.

"With two mineral waters and…"

"Fries?" Doug kept scribbling.

"We'll split a bag of potato chips. A Caesar salad for me, dressing on the side. Thanks, bub." She put a twenty dollar bill on the counter and headed to a table without so much of a glance back to Doug.

"Hey" I said following her. "I don't want a sandwich. I want pizza!"

"We are doing some serious dancing this afternoon. You really need to learn to treat your body with respect. I didn't have much of a chance to protest because just that moment, Jen sauntered over to our table.

"What? Is this some kind of B-Kid reunion?" she had one of those nasty-pretty faces. Straight light blond hair and baby-doll blue eyes, but a nasty deposition, like if you took Barbie's teen buddy Skipper and turned her into Nellie Olson from _Little House on the Prairie. _Jen was also one of those size zero girls that always had to wear cutoff shorts and tube tops to let everyone know how cute and skinny she is. Under the table I nervously touched at my flabby abs, a result of a summer filled with pizza lunches and dinner, and two years of eating non-stop comfort food. "Too bad no one else showed up, but I guess you guys couldn't have found somewhere a little classier anyways, since you're washed up and all."

Trina shot her vintage I'm-not-taking-your-shit look. "If it was, I don't remember the invitation that went out to you." Point score: our girl Treen. Jen flipped her hair, and with that she took her posse and left the restaurant. I wondered if Trina's duties as a mentor would have to extend to becoming my new bodyguard also.

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><p>On the drive back to Tig's I asked Trina, "Do you keep in touch with Kayla?"<p>

"Nope." She shook her head. I took that the silence that followed meant: don't go there.

"Do you ever think about her?" I asked. "Lucky, I mean, not Kayla." I verified.

"All the time, actually there isn't a day that I go by without thinking about her." She looked sad. "I miss her so much it still literally hurts. When a song she loved comes on the radio, my stomach turns over and I have to run to the bathroom. I bet Kayla feels the same."

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><p>We spent the afternoon singing my songs with mathematical precision, then drawing the songs out for depth and feeling. Afterwards we cleared out the furniture in Tig's living room to make room for dancing.<p>

The only reason why Trina could get me to do it was because I wanted to prove to myself that I still could. With years of dance lessons, I was practically a pro. But my dancing was a different kind of love than my love for singing, which I had never really had real lessons for (except for the vocal coaches on B-Kidz).

When I started to sweat buckets Trina finally said, "You know, you have a really great sense of rhythm. That's a hard thing to develop if you don't have it to begin with. Only a couple of weeks and your body will be in much better shape!"

Tig walked into the room, cell phone pressed against his ear. "Yes Kayla, the magazine is giving you the entire cover. Trust me, I've got it all covered."

Since starting her journey as a pop princess, Kayla's long and curly black hair had been straightened and streaked with red highlights, her thick eyebrows shaped to appear longer, slimmer, and arched, and her body had turned lean and taut, scary skinny, especially in comparison with her ample bosom, which I can assure you, were not the real deal. I thought Kayla looked prettier as a real person.

"So, what do you think Trina?" Tig waited.

"She has what it takes- she's always had it, if she's willing to take it." She turned to me.

"Are you willing it to take it, Wonder?" Tig asked seriously.

"I've wanted this whole life. Yes!" I answered.

"Alright, very good. Can you spend the night here Saturday and Sunday? We will finish up the demo then. Trina, can you come back and help us make a video?"

"Let's do this." She replied.

Glamour? No. Excitement. Not that much yet. Just business. And business completed this prospective music star hit the shower to get ready for her late shift at Dairy Queen.

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><p>I'm not actually sure what made me want to do it. It wasn't something I had planned ahead. But as I walked past the hair salon that had opened just that week next to the Dairy Queen, I couldn't help my sudden urge to get a change in hair style. My entire life I have always had long dirty blond, beauty pageant hair. It was annoying as fuck. As I speculated how it would feel to have my hair cut short during this hot month of September, I spotted a sign in the window saying that hair cuts were half off for the entire first week of business. So I thought, why the hell not?<p>

"What can I do for you today sweetie?" The woman asked me in a Boston accent not different from my own (except for the fact that I only use mine when I'm in the privacy of my home, only around my family members.)

"I want my hair like hers." I said pointing to a picture in a magazine the salon had on display. "Cute, short, and cropped."

"Would you like to get highlights like that to? Your hair would look gorgeous with an extra blond glow." She persuaded me. "Besides, everything is half off…"

"Okay, yeah. Go ahead." I didn't really need that week's pay check that much anyways.

* * *

><p>I was surprised on how much I liked the look. It wasn't permanent; I knew I would let it grow out eventually, but for the moment it seemed like a change. And change is definitely good. I couldn't wait to go home and show off my new hair.<p>

"Something… is different about you." my dad stated when he picked me up from work. "It's your hair."

"Yes, do you like it." I asked.

"Yes, it looks very pretty." He complimented. "So…" he began. "This work that you're doing with Tig... Where is it going?"

"I'm not sure, actually. So far we have just been fooling around. Not a big deal or anything."

"Look, Wonder. You know I have always been supportive of your singing." It was strange because even though my dad always told me what an amazing voice I had, he always seemed to encourage stuff like dancing and gymnastics more. Athletic stuff. "But you have to realize that timing is everything. And right now may not be the time." This confused me.

"What do you mean?"

"Well for one, you are only fifteen years old. You don't want to slave away your youth working do you? And remember, a high school education is a very important thing."

"Yes, dad. I understand." I sighed. It was as if he didn't realize how much this meant to me. As if he didn't realize that chances like this don't come that often. Who cares about timing?

* * *

><p>Working with Trina over the weekend was worth switching my DQ shift with Katie. Mom came to Tig's with me on Saturday morning to co-sign the artist representation contract that Tig's lawyer had prepared. Sounds like a big deal, but it wasn't- yet. It was a standard contract- no money involved- that spelled out terms by which Tig would represent me in any potential entertainment opportunities. The most exciting part of the day was seeing mom reuniting with Trina and hearing her shower Trina with "Wow, you've grown up so much!" and "I can't believe you are the lead singer of that adorable group!" and "How did you get the name <em>Destiny's Child<em> anyways?", but Trina seemed happy to answer her questions. She also commented about how much she loved my new hair.

After mom left is when the real business started. When I was finally done recording all the songs we had 11 tracks consisting of:

_1. Just Be Free_

_2. By Your Side_

_3. Move It_

_4. Our Day Will Come_

_5. Believe Me_

_6. Make Me Happy_

_7. Dream A Dream_

_8. The Way You Talk To Me_

_9. Running Out Of Time_

_10. Solo Se Libre (Just Be Free _translated to Spanish)

_11. Obvious _

The first ten of the previous songs were recorded completely acapella, while the last track _Obvious _had piano in the background. The reasoning for that is because I had written the song on the spot in Tig's studio, with Trina playing the piano for me. It started out as just goofing, but before we knew what was happening, I literally sang an entire song. Sure, I had to change the lyrics a few times before I was happy with it, but it was still pretty good for coming across it on accident.

Tig decided the last song _Obvious _was the song we were going to record the video for and use as my main demo. Partially because it was a slow ballad that showed off my vocals almost to the best of my ability, and also partially because it was the only song that had music to go along with my voice.

The weekend had become a sleepover event for Trina and I. We worked all day long, and ate popcorn and watched movies all night. I honestly had no idea where our energy came from.

"You did good today." Trina told me. "Tig was impressed."

"As much as he was impressed by Lucky?" I asked.

"Wonder, your talent is so totally separate from Lucky's. How come you don't see that?"

"I don't know. I guess, even though I'm the one who got Lucky into singing, I was always more of the dancer than her. So that's how I was labeled, and Lucky was labeled the singer."

Trina looked at me very strangely. "I know you aren't going to like hearing this, but let me lay one on you: You're a better singer than Lucky could ever be. A much, much better singer, like, not even in the same league. But seriously, no disrespect intended." If it was anyone other than Trina I probably would have defended Lucky a little better, but I knew Trina loved her as much as I did so defending would be a pointless thing to do.

Plus, somewhere deep inside, I already knew. I was the one who always won singing contests. I was the one everyone stared at as if I had mutant lungs whenever I sang. I knew I was a better singer, but my perception of Lucky was just too deep rooted. She had always been my role model, how could I be better than her? I looked up to her. "So why were you in the same girl group as Lucky if she isn't in the same league? I mean, you can't possibly tell me that you feel like my singing abilities exceed yours. I mean, you sound better than Whitney Houston!" It was true; Trina had one of the most powerful voices I had ever heard.

Again, Trina looked at me oddly. "I may be better than Whitney, but you… you're better than Whitney and Mariah Carey_ combined." _I blinked. I didn't know how I was supposed to respond to something like that. Half because I was embarrassed and half because I could tell that she was actually serious. "Anyways, Lucky was my friend. I loved her, you know that. But Trinity only worked because our voices added up to a great whole. Solo, Lucky may not have had enough. She balanced out Kayla's hard voice and my overpowering voice. She softened us, evened us out. And she kept Kayla and me from killing each other. Lucky was the peacemaker. She had talent. But you… you have a gift." I knew that Trina wasn't dissing Lucky; she was just being herself, being honest.

* * *

><p>Recording the video turned out to be really easy, even easier than recording the demo. Tig suggested that we take his video camera out onto the beach where he could get some clear beauty shots of me. The video wasn't anything special. It was pretty much me sitting on the beach in average clothes singing along with the music I had recorded intertwined with random shots of me just having fun and laughing. I had chosen my favorite pair of jeans, a baby blue tank top, and a matching denim jacket and hat to match with it.<p>

The video wasn't highly glamorized, nor did it have anything to do with the song. Tig said it didn't matter. It was all about the package, meaning that the song showed off my voice, and the video showed off my looks. That, apparently, was all that record labels cared about. Tig said as soon as he edited it all together, he would start to send the demo tracks and video to different record labels.

"Remember, Wonder, these things are arbitrary. What I think is great, may send dozens of record execs snoozing. But you'll hear from me if I get any positive responses. In the meantime, I have arranged for you to take dancing lessons. Three times a week after school, all paid up through Christmas. Think you can handle it?" he said, already knowing "No" wasn't an answer. It wouldn't have been my answer even if I had a choice.

"I'm going to miss you! But I have to get back to L.A to finish recording my album!" Trina said and I saw the sparkle in her eyes.

"You have to e-mail me every day and I better be the first to hear the record when it's done!" I said sad that she was leaving.

"I promise!" she laughed as she gave me a final hug before she left. It was then that I realized just how short lived this whole experience could be, even though it hadn't really started yet. Thanks to my fairy godmother (Tig) and my loyal mice and birds (Trina), this week wasn't the incredibly boring time I thought it would be; but even I know now that Cinderella has to go back to her pumpkin.


	3. From Innosense to Doug's Band

**Okay, so here's a little background info. Before Brintey Spears had her solo contract with Jive Records, she was part of a girl group called_ Innosense. _so this chapter is pretty much about how Wonder gets an oppertunity to become a member of a girl group, but mostly, it is about how her status at school evolves and it kind of tells what happens between her and her crush Doug. please review and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>It was almost impossible how fast Tig called me back. I had only been back to school 3 days before he called to tell me that he was taking me to Boston to meet up with the executives of <em>In Touch Records.<em> This was one of the rare occasions that my mom would actually let me ditch school.

As it turns out, the record execs weren't all that pleased with the acapella recordings Tig had sent them. Their reasoning for this was because my voice was "untrained, uncontrolled, and everywhere. Not to mention the weakness and unoriginality of the song's lyrics." I had to admit, hearing constructive criticism made me upset more than it motivated me to do better. I honestly thought that the demo was good! It was just a demo after all!

So why, do you ask, did they ask me to come all the way to Boston? Even though they had many problems with my recordings, it wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed. "You sure have one hell of a voice kid. I'll give you that!" said a middle aged record executive. "Pure talent isn't something that's easy to come across, especially these days. Plus, you have a pretty face!" He said.

"They've been putting together a girl group called _Innosense_, but it isn't fully formed yet. It consists so far of four girls around your age." Tig explained to me.

"We would like to know if you would be interested in joining our little group." The music executive asked.

Obviously I had no other choice but to say "Yes!"

No contracts were signed that day regarding whether or not I was going to join _Innosense, _but we did sign over the rights to _In Touch Records _for the use of my demo, although we did agree it wouldn't be sold or distributed.

Tig said the plan was very simple. _In Touch Records _had invited me for a couple days to meet the other girls of the group and see how we worked as a whole. Apparently I wasn't the only Newbie because two other girls would be meeting the other three for the first time also. The girl's names were Danay Ferrer, Mandy Ashford, Nikki DeLoach,and Amanda Latona. I forgot who was who three seconds after we were introduced.

Long story short, the girls and I didn't automatically click. It wasn't as if they were mean exactly, but let's just say we were all from very different backgrounds. Danay was a complete redneck, Mandy grew up in Manhattan, Nikki was Mexican, and Amanda spent about twenty minutes explaining to us the details about her troubled past in the ghetto. I, of course, was the only one from Cambridge. And on top of the fact that our personalities were mega opposites, our voices clashed too. When working with the voice coach, none of us could decide who would be soprano or alto, and how to blend country and Mexican accents. Those three days I spent working with them, were three of the longest days of my career.

"So, what do you think?" Tig asked me after the third day. I had been playing it cool the entire trip. I felt way too bad to tell him that I didn't want to take the recording opportunity he had gotten for me.

"About what?"

"_Innosense! _You know! The girl group you've been working with for the past few days." He gave me a _duh_ look.

"Oh yeah, it's uh… great." I said, failing at faking excitement.

"You know, Wonder, if you want to make it anywhere in this business you're going to have to stop being so nice."

"What do you mean?" I opened my eyes wide.

"I mean, forget sparing my feelings! You have to tell me what you want, or else there is no way you are going to get it." He looked right through me.

I sighed. "I've got to give it to my sister; she made being a part of a girl group look so easy." I said modestly. "I'm sorry, Tig. I know how hard you worked. I'm just not that into this _Innosense_ thing.

"Thank god!" he said, relieved.

"Wait, what?" I asked confused.

"Wonder, you are way too talented to be a part of a girl group with girls like that. Don't get me wrong, this is still an amazing opportunity, and it is risky to reject it, but…"

"…But what?" I asked

"But… I think I can get you a solo record deal. Obviously we are going to have to do something about your vocals on the demo, but I've already sent it out to all the labels." He thought about it. "Tell you what. It's usually not a month or so until anyone contacts us back anyways, so we will just let it sit. If we don't get any response, we'll try something else. Sound good?" he mentally planned it out.

"Yeah, except now I have to go back to school." He laughed at me. And with that, we packed up our stuff and headed right back to Devonport.

* * *

><p>Autumn passed without a word from Tig. Like my mom, I jumped every time the phone rang for a while, but I was growing indifferent and only a tad hopeless. Not really hopeless about my music career, but more about my new life near the sea. Zoe had found it very easy to make friends at her elementary school, and Charlie fit in well with his "<em>sk8er boi<em>" clique. As for me, well, let's just say I didn't do that well. Even Katie had stopped associating with me at school, as if her reputation would be damaged if she was seen with me. Lunchtime would have been torture, if not for my unexpected savior: Henry/Science Project. When I asked to drop out of school all together, my mom's reply was, "I heard there is going to be a school musical! Why don't you try out for that? I'm sure that you would make friends that way." I, of course rejected her thoughts as an impulse, but once I got started to think about it, it really didn't seem like that bad of an idea.

* * *

><p>Dance class was my one refugee. It was the one place that I could truly be myself. The sweaty girl I saw in the mirror of the dance studio was not the outcast that never got invited to parties or had friends- the sweaty girl in the mirror was alive with power. The moment the music came on, whether it was Hip-Hop or Modern or Classical, felt my entire body relax and go to a state of bliss. It had been that way ever since I was about six years old, ever since I truly needed a reason to get away… but that wasn't what I thought about, not when I was dancing.<p>

* * *

><p>For the school play, I thought that I could make a decent Miss Adelaide in <em>Guys and Dolls, <em>which would be so convenient, considering Doug Chase was a shoo-in for Nathan Detroit. I sat through the auditions watching Jen Burke warble through _The Sun Will Come Out, _sounding like a tone deaf Miss Piggy. Although I was positive she did awful, her entire clique applauded loud enough to leave my ears ringing and even the drama teacher said, "Yes, you did very nice indeed."

I was called on stage next. Jen and her friends were pointing at me and giggling, but I didn't care. I felt comfortable on stage, I felt at home. I didn't need the piano accompaniment, so on the teacher's queue I started out with the line "Don't cry for me, Argentina" I was pleased that my tone sounded correct. My gaining momentum was stopped when Jen interrupted.

"Some B-Kid here thinks she's Madonna." She spewed. The teacher gave her the evil eye.

"Wonder, I'm sorry. Why don't you try again?"

So I took a deep breath and started again, but I only made it up to the line "_The truth is, I never..."_when I heard farting noises coming from the corner of the auditorium. _Oh, fuck it_, I thought. _Why am I even bothering with this?_

I opened my eyes and looked up quickly, careful not to let any tears fall down my cheek. "You know what? Between dance classes and school and my job, I don't have time to do this anyways." I ran out of the auditorium as quickly as I could. Once I was outside I pressed myself up against the wall next to the fire hydrant.

As if the situation wasn't bad enough, guess who followed me out the door?

"Hey" said Doug Chase as he sat down next to me. I didn't say anything. I was still choking back tears. "You have an amazing voice." Wow. That's something I've never heard before! (Insert sarcasm).

"Thanks…" I sniffled.

"We need a backup singer for my band. Would you be interested in meeting the guys and hearing us play?" he asked me. I turned to take a look at him. Was he serious? Although the idea exited me, I thought of Jen Burke and how pissed off she would be if she found out. But then again, wasn't that what I wanted?

"Um, sure. Yeah." I said hesitantly.

"Alright, cool. I'll call you sometime so you can come by." He said as he took my number. Oh. My. God.

* * *

><p>The following week, I walked to Doug's house after dance class on the day we decided to meet. I knew the band was playing in the garage when I heard them from about half way down the street.<p>

"Wanda! You made it!" I wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. There were 4 guys in the band: one on bass, a guy on drums, one at a keyboard, and Doug with his electric guitar. They were all staring at my chest. Looking down, I realized that I was still in my red sports bra and workout pants that I wore to dance class. The dance classes had slowly turned my flabby figure into a lean, mean fighting machine.

"My name is Wonder." I informed him. Really, how could someone forget a name like that?

"Wonder." The guy on the drums said. "You're the B-Kid, right?"

I felt myself deflate. "Yeah…" I replied.

"We've been rehearsing a song called _Take Me to the River. _You probably don't know it, it's by-"

"Al Green!" I cut in; thankful to Trina for all the random mix CD's she had made me. The boys shook their head as enthusiastically as they could while being stoned. Without asking me, Doug started to play his guitar, automatically expecting me to sing along. And that is how Wonder Blake joined _Doug's Band_.

* * *

><p>For the month of November, I had all but forgotten about my hopes of signing a record deal. I was the hot new chick in <em>Doug's Band <em>and I had a T-Shirt to prove it. With my new title, little things started to change at school. People stopped pointing and laughing at me and some were even nice.

One thing that didn't change, other than my GPA, was Jen Burke. If she disliked me before Doug and I hung out, she must have hated me now. But Doug was into me, I was pretty sure. He flirted with me all the time and it was only a matter of time before something happened.

The opportunity came on night after Thanksgiving. Doug was walking me home at about nine o'clock one evening after rehearsal. We decided to take the long way along the beach, and the atmosphere was definitely moody.

Doug lit a joint and passed it to me. "Uh, can you show me how? I've never smoked before" I know, lame right?

"Really?" he asked as he took the joint from me. "Well, let me show you a good way to learn." He took a puff of the joint and before I could realize what he was doing, his lips were on mine. I opened my mouth and let the fumes come into my mouth.

"It's called shotgun." He told me as I coughed. "Do you want to try again?"

"Without the joint." I told him. The night had become dark, but still, Doug's lips found mine. We kissed for a while, and our hands wandered everywhere. I guess it safe to say we hit second base. I was surprised on how natural it felt.

"I guess you should be getting home now." He said after we stopped for air. "I'll walk you home."

* * *

><p>It was strange that hooking up with Doug gave me sympathy for Jen Burke. The guy could give some serious lip-lock, but watch out if you tried to truly get close to the guy. Rules for hooking up with Doug:<p>

DO let him feel you up in darkened places when no one is around

DO NOT attempt to hold his hand in public, or show any other display of affection

DO fantasize about him in school, preferably in exams that will determine whether or not you will pass

DO NOT fantasize that he will show you any kind of affection in front of his peers, or in public

DO sneak out your bedroom window at night to meet him at the beach

DO ignore Science Project when he watches you sneak out your bedroom window

DO lie down on the blanket he lays out on the beach

DO let him touch you for hours

DO let him beg you to give it up

DO NOT give it up

Doug's company was great and well-welcomed, but he wasn't exactly fulfilling my needs as a boyfriend.

One day after Henry caught me sneaking out, he said, "Why do you even bother to go through all this trouble to see this guy anyways? He hardly acknowledges you at school."

"Because I want to. Is that so bad?" I was angry. "It's not really your business anyways." Henry never brought it up again.

* * *

><p>One evening after rehearsals, Doug and I were making out on his basement couch while his dad was still at work. My shirt was off and Doug was lying on top of me, his hand between my inner thighs but not quite you-know-where. My jeans were still on, though the friction between our bodies as Doug rubbed against me told me the jeans were soon going to be goners.<p>

"Do you have something?" I asked him in the moment of heavy-breathing weakness. _What the hell?_ I thought. Why not just do it?

"Yeah" he grunted as he got up. "I'll be right back."

His moment of absence gave me time to reconsider. Doug's dad was going to be home any moment. Was this really how I wanted it to be, a random quickie in the basement of the guy who won't even talk to me in public? In my mind I could see Lucky's face as she watched over me. She had a frown and she held up her hand with a big "thumbs down". I started to put my shirt back on.

"Doug, I don't think I want it to be like this." I said when he came back.

"Come on, Wonder!" he replied.

"I mean you won't even acknowledge that I'm your girlfriend."

"Oh. Man, is this what this is about?" he complained.

"Yes, mostly. Maybe I'm just not ready…"

"You know what? I'm not going to take this shit. Get out."

I blinked. "Are you for real?"

"I said go. And don't even bother coming back for rehearsals anymore. You're out." He said as he turned away. I got up wordlessly and with a final glance, I left.

* * *

><p>For the next week at school I walked around slouched over with a queasy feeling in my stomach. At lunch, Science Project found me alone under a tree, shivering.<p>

"I brought you hot chocolate." He handed me a cup. "_Here I come, to save the day!" _He sang opera style. I didn't laugh. I knew he was just trying to be nice, but I really wished it was Doug that was here instead of him.

I felt tears run down my face. "I think I'd like to be alone right now, Henry, if you don't mind." He looked disappointed, but walked away anyways.

As I looked into the distance, I saw Doug pressing Jen Burke up against a wall while they made out. So that was it? He had moved on already and not even a full week had passed. Screw him! Screw this entire school!

After I ditched school, I ran to the dance studio in the center of the town, running half a mile out of the way so I wouldn't pass the grocery store my mom had started working at when she left her law firm in Cambridge.

While running, I noticed the difference in my body back when I took a jog with Trina three months ago, and my body now. Before I was completely out of breathe with aching muscles, now I only had mild sweat on my brow.

Thinking of Trina made me remember about my demo tape. Three months had gone by without any word from Tig, so I could only assumed that the other record companies had found my demo as sloppy as the people at _In Touch Records _did.

"Aren't you about four hours early?" asked Jodie, my dance instructor.

"yeah, I guess I am."

"Well I guess if you're going to skip school I would rather have you here than some place dangerous." As if Devonport could ever dream of being that scary. "Go get changed. We can go over some of the moves that the rest of the class will just never be ready for." Once again, dance didn't fail me at making me feel better.

* * *

><p>When I got home, I expected the house to be silent. I was wrong. To my horror, there stood my entire family plus Katie and Henry. "Surprise" They called out. Apparently, today was my birthday. I suppose I should be more worried about the fact that I didn't care (or even remember) my sweet sixteenth.<p>

Thankfully, the ringing of the phone distracted everyone from me. "Wonder! Someone is on the phone for you!" Charlie yelled. _Shit_, I thought. It was probably the school calling to inform my parents that I skipped half my classes.

"Hello." I sighed.

"Wonder!" someone on the other side yelled. "Can you hit a high E? It's an octave above middle C."

"Tig? Slow down a second. What are you talking about?" I asked, recognizing his voice.

"Listen to me. Disney is looking for a young teenage singer with a wide vocal range to sing the feature song of a soundtrack to a new movie. The only requirement is that you have to hit a high E above middle C. Can you do that?"

I took the phone with me to my room where it was more quite. "Um, I don't know. Can I? I don't even know what that sounds like." Tig's rushing was confusing me.

"Wonder you have to find out and call me back as soon as you do, understand?" He spoke seriously. "This could be it."


	4. Reflection

Stunned, I ran into Lucky's old bed room for the first time since we moved into the house.

"What are you doing honey?" my mom asked, looking as if I had dug Lucky up from her grave.

"It was Tig on the phone. He wanted to know if I could hit a high C over middle E. Do you know what that is?" I asked, pointing towards Lucky's old piano. It felt almost surreal being surrounded by all of Lucky's old things that she kept at our summer house. It was almost as if she was never gone.

My mom walked over to the piano and put her finger over the keys. "It's this one." She told me, laying her finger over one key. "I'm going to go out and prepare your cake. Come out whenever you're ready to sing Happy Birthday."

I sang the notes that were lower first, working my way up in chronological order. I called Tig back right away.

"How did you do?" Tig asked me as soon as he picked up.

"I can hit it. I mean, it needs a little bit of work, but I can definitely hit it."

"Alright, well then you better work fast." He sounded excited.

"Why?" I asked.

"I need you to pick a song- any song- that contains that note in it. Then I need you to record yourself singing the song and Fed-Ex it out to this address by tomorrow morning." He told me as I wrote down the address he gave.

"Tig, the only thing I have to record on is my little sister's karaoke machine and cassette tapes." I thought that if a record company thought my demo was crappy before, my version of a "home studio" was going to be about twenty times worse.

He sighed. "It's better than nothing Wonder. Don't let those guys from _In Touch Records _get you down. None of their artists have had a platinum record in years." He comforted me. "Just do your best, and make sure the song you choose has that note in it."

I reluctantly sat through the birthday song and cake, all the while thinking about preparing that recording. With a smile plastered across my face, I tried to not look like I was rushing them out as Katie and Henry began to leave.

"Happy Birthday, Wonder. I hope it all works out with that soundtrack and all." Henry told me at the door.

"Thanks for coming." I practically closed the door in their faces.

After researching it on the internet, it turned out that a song by Whitney Houston called _Run to You _contained the sacred note Tig was so caught up on. Thankfully I already knew the song pretty well. Still, I spent hours recording the song over and over until it sounded just right. The next morning before school, my mom drove me to the post-office to Fed-Ex my recording as soon as possible.

* * *

><p>Because it had been three months that I hadn't heard from Tig prior to this soundtrack business, I was not expecting him to hear back from him for a while. I bet you can imagine my surprise when I got home from school a day later and Tig was sitting in my living room.<p>

"Wonder! I have amazing news!" Tig jumped up when he saw me. "We are going to L.A!" I swear my eyes must have popped out of my head.

"What? Why? When?" I couldn't control my questions.

"The record executives from Pop Life Records that are working with Disney on the soundtrack called me back earlier this morning. They invited you to go audition in person. They are flying us out tomorrow!"

"Just you and me?" I looked over at my mother, knowing that she wouldn't be excited about not going.

"Your mother and I have already arranged everything." He said following my gaze. "We won't be gone for long." Halleluiah. Escape.

* * *

><p>Tig was right, we weren't gone long. Still, the time that we thought we were going to be there just kept increasing and increasing. On the first day there, all we did was get comfortable in our hotel suites and Tig took me out to dinner as a way of saying "Good luck, kiddo." On the second day, I met up with Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, the men who wrote and produced the song.<p>

"You must be Wonder!" said Mr. Wilder when Tig and I met up with him in his studio. "I'm Matthew Wilder and this is my partner ."

"Hello. I'm Wonder Blake." I introduced myself politely.

"I would also like you to meet Mr. Ron Fair, he is an A&R guy over at Pop Life Records." He said as I shook Ron's hand. "I've got to say, Wonder, I am curious to see if you can really sing as well you did on this tape." I blushed.

"Do you mind if we try out the song?" asked .

"No, not at all." I agreed. Turns out the song was a ballad written for a new Disney animated film called _Mulan. _The song was called _Reflection_.

"Can you read music?" Mr. Wilder asked me.

"A little bit." I admitted.

"Okay, well just follow along with the piano and I'll help you if you get lost." He said as we sat down in front of his piano. I looked down at the music and followed along.

_Look at me_

_You may think you see who I really am_

_But you'll never know me_

_Everyday it's as if I play a part_

_Now I see,_

_If I wear a mask I can fool the world_

_But I cannot fool myself_

The song really was lovely. The men seemed to be enjoying my singing, but it wasn't until I got to the chorus that their jaws completely dropped.

_Who is that girl I see_

_Staring straight back at me_

_When will my reflection show_

_Who I am inside_

The two men looked at each other and then stopped me.

"Wonder," Matt Wilder put out his hand. "You have the part."

* * *

><p>So our two day trip was extended another week to allow time for me to record the song and music video. "Normally," Tig said, "It doesn't happen this way."<p>

"What do you mean?"

"People don't just put out their hand and say 'you've got the part', and they don't normally shoot the video the same week you're planned to record the song either." That much I figured.

"So why am I recording the video this week?" I asked him.

"The movie is practically done. They need to get this song out _fast_ in order to start promotion. I wouldn't be surprised if it was released sometime this month."

* * *

><p>I spent the next three days recording nonstop. Recording with Tig was fun and natural, probably because we weren't rushed. Recording with Matt Wilder and David Zippel was tough work and extremely tiring. On the fourth day of recording, I thought I finally had gotten off early enough to go to the hotel room and sleep, but Tig told me otherwise.<p>

"Where are we going?" I asked him.

"Ron Fair called me and organized a meeting."

"Who?"

"The man that was in the room with us when you auditioned for _Reflection, _he is the A&R guy at Pop Life Records." Tig explained. I vaguely remembered shaking another man's hand. All I knew was that if he was from Pop Life Records that meant he was important. It was no c-list place like _In Touch Records; _Pop Life Records was the real deal. It was the label Kayla was signed to.

"Does he want to sign me?" I asked.

"He didn't tell me anything. All I know is that he urgently wanted to meet with you."

Ron Fair was sitting at a table with an intimidating black man when I walked into the room. From Ron I got a firm handshake, and from the other man I got a "once –over" look. Neither of them bothered to introduce me to him.

"Not another one of these, Ron! Don't get me wrong, she is cute, but we have a million of those!" said the black man as if I wasn't there.

"I know, I know. Just give it a chance." Ron told him.

"How are you, Wonder?" Ron asked.

"I'm good, how are you?" I asked, trying to use my best manners.

"Oh, I'm good." He said half-heartedly as if he didn't really intend to make small-talk with me. "So sing for me." He said, putting me on the spot.

I was being stared at by all three people in the room. _What am I supposed to sing? _I wanted to ask. I snuck a glance at Tig and he almost made a nod. Taking a deep breath, I stood up. Putting my hand on the back of my chair, I began to sing my demo _Obvious._

_Can you hear it in my voice?_

_Was it something I let slip?_

_Does the whole world know?_

_Isn't it obvious…?_

_I'm the one who's in control_

_Now I'm acting like a fool_

_Do my feelings show?_

_Is my face a glow?_

_Isn't it obvious?_

_That I don't know what I'm doing anymore_

_I'm feeling like a little girl_

_Caught up in emotions _

_I'm out of control_

_Isn't it obvious?_

Not a bit nervous, I opened my eyes when I finished the song. Singing like that had been so peaceful, plus, I'm pretty sure I nailed it.

"God dayum," said the black man. " I ain't never seen anything like her before."

* * *

><p>I wasn't surprised when Tig told me that people don't normally land a part on a big soundtrack and a record deal in one week. The rest of the week had been fairly boring compared to the newfound energy I had bubbling under my skin from getting my first record deal. Well, technically, Tig's lawyer and my mom had to go over everything before it became official.<p>

Shooting the video for _Reflection _was not a huge production compared to the sets we used to do back on _Beantown Kidz. _Because the song was a ballad, there were no dance moves or back-up dancers. The whole video was me in some type of Chinese style building and outside by a pond. The reason for the Chinese background is because the movie _Mulan _was about a Chinese girl who pretends to be a boy so she can take her father's place in a war. I thought my short hair cut went really well with the theme of the plot since Mulan has to cut her hair short in order to pass as a boy.

When I got back to the hotel room from shooting the video, I received an e-mail from none other than Kayla herself.

**Hey girl! **

**How to become a hot star in 5 easy steps:**

**Step 1- hair. For the Raven-haired like me, streaks of red, orange, or pink will do. For the mousy-haired like you, move on up, girl, to dirty blond shade with golden streaks. Tousle 'n' go, go, go.**

Little did Kayla know, that I had already added highlights to my hair.

**Step 2-Dialect Coach. Your name is Won-DUR, not Won-DAH. Regional accents are forbidden for teen movie stars, but acceptable in a singer only if the accent is subtle, and preferably Southern. If you are from Boston, you will have to work wicked hahd to unload the accent. Don't be a chowDAHhead. You prefer chowder, thank you very much.**

That was no biggie. I already trained myself to only use my accent in private places.

**Step 3-Diet. Expect rigorous dance and workout sessions, but don't expect those cal-burning sessions mean you can give into the chocolate monster. Your outfits should only be as skimpy as your meals. Skip the appetizer, desert is a no-no, and you can forget you even know the existence of pizza ("pizzer" to us Cambridge girls, hee hee). Learn to love your new best friends: grilled chicken and fish, salads drizzled with fat-free dressing. The occasional Coca-Cola is acceptable, for a boost. **

_Um, yeah right, _I thought. I prefer Pepsi over Coca-Cola.

**Step 4- Talent manager. Tig is that rare commodity: an ethical manager with killer instincts, who will protect your interests and instruct you in ensuring your financial future as if you were a corporation rather than a person. Don't ever expect to learn anything about him personally: he is all business and you are all product. **

**Step 5-School. If you are under 18 and maintaining a professional job as an entertainer, the law requires you to spend a certain amount of time in school, or with a tutor. Lucky for us, there's a nice little legal loop-hole called dropping out entirely. Go for a G.E.D if you want, but you are a professional person in the working world now, and nobody in the music business cares whether or not you have a high school diploma. Your time will be consumed in rehearsing, performing, appearances, hair, and make-up. Try to ignore the look of sadness on your dad's face when your mom signs the form. You have a high five-figure recording contract that could be worth millions if your album is a hit. **

**See you soon in NYC!**

**Love ya babe, Kayla**


	5. Baby One More Time

**Alright, so we are finally at the part where Wonder creates her album and makes her video for "...Baby One More Time"! Things get really heated when Kayla comes into town to corrupt Wonder and introduces her to a new boy! Please review because i love to hear ideas !**

The first single I recorded was called _Hit Me Baby One More Time. _You can imagine why religious groups may have wanted the song banned later on, but really it was pretty innocent. When first deciding on different producers to work with, Tig had brought me a lot of different tracks to choose from. Most of them didn't please me in the least. I was surprised that I was going to be singing pop music because I had envisioned a more R&B, adult contemporary sound. But once I thought about it, pop music made much more sense; it was more my age and it was something I could dance to.

I didn't find anything I liked until I came across a recording labeled "Hit me baby one more time". The song was only half written, and was sang by a man. I automatically fell in love with it. The beginning of the song was unmistakable and incredibly catchy. I told Tig, "I have to meet the writer."

The writer of the song was named Max Martin and he apparently had written Kayla's most successful single to date.

"I had originally began writing this song for a new girl group called Destiny's Child." Max told me when I asked him about it. "But when I missed the cut-off date, I just never got around to finishing it." I thought it was incredibly ironic that the song I had chosen was written for that particular group. Oh well, I thought. Trina won't mind.

"Can I write it with you?" I asked him. I already had it in my head how I wanted it to sound. He looked at me warily but said yes.

Max and I wrote and recorded the song in two days. "When I first wrote this, I envisioned somebody a little bit older." He told me once it was finished. "But I've got to say, you've added something to it that I couldn't have come up with on my own." Needless to say, Max and I clicked.

Max and I ended up writing and recording three more songs together called _Crazy, I Will Be There, _and _Autumn Goodbye. _I have to admit, Hit Me Baby One More Time was kinda cheesy with the way I repeated "Oh baby, baby" over and over again. But it was cheesy in a classic way that generations of teens would remember it as a pop anthem, like songs such as "The Macarena" or "Whoop! There It Is!"

* * *

><p>Within three months of working at Pop Life Studios in New York City I had chosen Hit Me Baby One More Time to be released as the lead single and I was working on a full album to be released by the end of the summer. I stayed in a tiny apartment owned by the record company. Originally my mom had stayed with me, but after a week it was evident to both of us that it wasn't going to work out. There was no room, and my little sister Zoe needed her back home.<p>

"I feel useless here," my mom said to me.

"Oh. But then why don't you get your own place, mom. New York is really cool. You'll like it here." I said in attempt to make her feel better.

"What's so cool about it?" she asked. I honestly had no idea. So far, the coolest things I've seen were the inside of the fancy professional recording studios. "You work around the clock, I barely see you, you don't seem to even want me around-"

"That's not true, mom!"

"Thank you for saying that sweetie- but let's face the facts. Tig takes care of you. I'm just dead weight here." She tugged at her pants. "I think I've gained ten pounds just sitting around waiting for you to get home." I looked away before my tears could drop. "Wonder, I'll stay here if you want me to, but I can see that for all interests and purposes, you're a working adult now. You'll thrive with or without me." Mom was crying now, her words came out in bursts in between breaths. "I've made a mistake. I wanted you to have a career for yourself, but what that means is now I have lost _two_ daughters. What happens when Zoe grows up also? I have a family who need me back home, and if I'm not careful they are going to move on without me too."

I gave my mom a hug. "Then go home mom, I'll be fine."

"I'll be back eventually with the family. Hopefully then, we can afford a better place and we will reassess what we are going to do as a family." I nodded. Sure we will, mom.

Maybe my heart had just kinda broken. I did want her gone, and I did want freedom. But the feeling of emptiness in my stomach did not lie. I was truly on my own.

* * *

><p>Adjusting to my newfound freedom was not easy for me. In the day time I was as happy as can be, but in the night is when things got bad. Living in such a big city, I had never felt so small (or fragile). Because of my childish fear of the dark, I found it a constant habit to call anyone in the middle of the night. From Tig, to Max, to my dance instructor, they all had to take turns comforting me in the middle of the night at some point or another.<p>

It was during one of these late night conferences that Tig and I first really addressed my debut single. "I have good news, and I have bad news." Uh oh. "I'll tell you the bad news first. The label wants to change the name of your first single."

"What do you mean? Change it to what?"

"They are concerned that the song won't do well because it may be linked to some sort of abuse or sadomasochism. They want to shorten the name to _"…Baby One More Time" _instead of "_Hit Me Baby One More Time". _

That was the bad news? "That's fine. The name was to long anyways. So what's the good news?"

"We found a director for the video." Tig's face lit up. "Nigel Dick is a professional who has worked with the best. He has an entire concept already made. You are going to be an astronaut fighting an animated monster in outer space. It's going to be very futuristic." He said with completely legit.

I shook my head. "No, that can't be the video." I shuddered at the thought of Jen Burke seeing me fighting off aliens in an astronaut costume. "I'm sixteen, Tig. That sounds like something I would have done on B-Kidz when I was eleven."

"What do you want to do then?" Tig asked me.

I thought about something all teenagers could relate to. The first thing that came to mind was the image of all the kids in the parking lot at school. Not just Jen's clique, but everybody went off to their own sections, gossiping and having a good time. "It should take place in a school. It will start off with me daydreaming about leaving. Then it will show me looking at the guy I like in the hallway, then in the parking lot where everyone gossips. There has to be dancing all the way through." I told him as the image formed in my head.

"That sounds a hell of a lot better than a space mission to me, but I don't know what the director is going to think." Tig replied.

"Can I talk to him?" I asked Tig. "I know it's late, but it is very important that I'm not an astronaut in this video."

Tig handed me his phone, and I called up Nigel, describing to him in great detail what it was that I wanted for this video.

* * *

><p>When it came time to shoot, I was extremely nervous. Because of all my B-Kid training I wasn't afraid of getting in front of the camera, more than anything I was just afraid that the video was going to be less than perfect.<p>

Nigel Dick had taken my ideas with an open mind and told me he would try and create my vision the best that he could. It wasn't long until I met up with Darren Henson, who was a young choreographer. He may have been new in the business, but the guy sure could dance. After showing me some moves he had for the song I decided that I definitely wanted him to choreograph my video.

"Are you sure about this, Wonder?" Tig asked me. "There are many other, more experienced dancers I could get to choreograph this."

"No." I said. "Darren is perfect. His moves are exactly my style." I know I may have been being a bit controlling, but this was my video after all. If it sucks, I'm going to be the one to stand behind it.

"Okay. I know you've been working a lot and you don't get much free time to see your favorite shows on T.V, I'm sorry about that." I had told Tig before that I wished there was some way I could record _South Coast _while I was at work, but I wondered why he was bringing it up now. "But, I think I have a way I can make it up to you."

"How?" I asked suspiciously.

"I got Will Nieves to agree to star in your video!" My heart stopped beating.

"What? No way! Is he here right now." I turned my head as if he would just show up in my dressing room.

"Calm down. He isn't coming until tomorrow for the second part of the shoot." He soothed me. "You've been working really hard; I want you to have fun on this shoot. Relax" I nodded my head even though there was no possible way for me to relax. "Get changed into your outfit and I'll meet you out there." This part of the video wasn't built on a set; it was actually a real high school. The coolest part about it was that this was the same school the movie _Grease_ had been filmed in.

When meeting with the stylists, they had imagined that I would have been in plain jeans and a T-shirt for the school segment, but instead, I had offered that I dressed in a Catholic school girl uniform that consisted of a short plaid skirt and a button-up white collared shirt. My hair had grown out to just past my shoulders and I had them in two high braids tied up with fluffy pink scrunchies. I felt like a seven year old.

"What do you think of the outfit?" I asked one of my dancers named Kara. "I thought it would look cuter. Are they too nerdy?"

"A little bit, but I thought that was the point." She said. "I mean it is kinda ironic that we look like sexy third graders." I cocked my head, not quite understanding what she meant.

"Well how about we tie up the shirts?" I said as I unbuttoned my shirt and tied the two sides together so they revealed my stomach. "Is that cuter?"

"Yeah, that looks so hot!" she replied as she motioned for the other girls to for the same.

The wardrobe director walked up to us. "Whose idea was this?" she asked us.

"Wonder's" Kara nodded her head to me.

"That's a very nice touch," she smiled. "Let me just fix it up for you." she said as she adjusted our shirts.

The rest of the day was as busy as could be. Because of my days on B-Kidz, I knew exactly how to hit my mark and stare down the camera. We shot dancing scenes in the hallway and the day dream scene in the classroom. After we were done with the indoor shots we traveled outside. The parking lot scene used the real school's parking lot except that the set designers had built a dance floor in the middle of it. For this part of the video I changed into a pink sports bra and white track pants. Tig even lent me his blue convertible to sit in for a couple shots.

The next day, Will Day, as I called it consisted of more dancing and close-up shots, this time taking place in the school's gym. My outfit was made up of a yellow half-top and red track pants- pretty much your ideal outfit for dancing. My hair was half down and half put up into two pig-tails on top of my head.

There was a knock on my dressing room door. When I opened the door wide, there was Will Nieves, aka Robert Perez, _Love Machine, _the scheming (but misunderstood) resident at South Coast Hospital, also the illegitimate son and bitter enemy of chief surgeon and South Coast patriarch Robert Smithington. I drooled out my hot chocolate as he shook my hand.

"Wonder Blake? I hear you're the next big sensation. You ready to show us what you got?"

My heart was beating so fast I was positive he could see it popping out of my chest. "Oh my god!" I blurted out without thinking. I felt my cheeks turn hot.

Luckily, Will laughed at my reaction instead of looking at me as if I was crazy. "That's not the first time I've gotten that reaction from a fan, but I've never gotten it from a costar before."

I wanted to interrogate him. Was Robert the father of Linda's baby? Would the producers of the show be interested in casting the up-coming pop princess Wonder Blake with her newly grown out hair and worked-out-to-death abs? I was sure I wouldn't be able to go the whole day without embarrassing myself.

"I love your song by the way." He said before singing me back my own lyrics. "_Oh baby, baby. How was I supposed to know that something wasn't right here? Oh baby, baby I shouldn't have let you go. And now you're out of sight, yeah. Show me how you want it to be. Tell me baby, 'cause I need to know now. Oh, because…"_

That was _so _not the behavior I expected from Will Nieves. A knock on the door indicated it was time to shoot the basketball game scene. As Will walked out of my trailer he slapped the ass of the cute production guy making googly eyes at him. "What's your name honey?" he said.

Alas, my Will: swoon-height tall, blonde hair, smoldering blue eyes, the chiseled looks of a god. Oh my god, he was so hot. And oh my god he was so GAY! Sigh, well that solved my little performance problem for me.

In the video, Will did a couple shots as part of the basketball game. I sat on the bleachers with a basketball in my lap gazing upon him, wishing he would take me back. We also did a couple scenes where he sat on the other side of the bleachers, gazing back at me. I finished off the day with a huge dance number on the basketball court with my back-up dancers.

"I can see it already. Wonder. Is that your real name? You're going to be huge. Do you have a past in the industry?" Will asked me at the end of the shoot.

"I was on Beantown Kidz when I was younger and you can see my music video for a song called _Reflection_ on the Disney channel about every five minutes. Other than that, no." I replied.

"Beantown Kidz, huh? I should've realized it sooner. That place is like a summer camp for the one-day famous. Do you wanna hit the clubs sometime?"

"I'm sixteen. I can't get in." I said feeling as lame as ever.

"Sixteen! You're ancient. Trust me, once your song comes out the clubs will be begging you to come. Just let me know. And bring Kayla; she's a friend of mine." Will slipped me his number. Kayla, my mentor pop princess, had been in California recording a new album during my first few months in New York, but now she was home.

* * *

><p>Apparently, when Tig first got me a recording contract, he has promised Pop Life Records that I would tour with Kayla as her opening act. I may not have been a sexy boy group, or play electric guitar, but I did have one thing that all her past opening acts didn't have: I had known her since I was just an eleven-year-old B-Kid. Wonder Blake, sign here.<p>

Working with other producers wasn't as easy as working with Max Martin. I insisted that I wanted to take part in the writing process, but when they asked me what I wanted to write about, I had no answer. I was a sixteen year old girl whose only train of thought followed the plot of every other cheesy love song. So I let the other writers come up with a concept and once they got started, I would jump in and add my own touch. I had a tendency to want to change a lot of what was already written. A song called _Born to Make You Happy _was too sexual and I felt uncomfortable, _Come on over Baby _was too innocent, and _Crazy_ was to rock and not enough pop.

Then there was the recording process. Let's just say I wasn't a fan of the studio. I hated the headphones I had to wear, the measured distance I had to keep from the microphone, and more than anything, I hated the controlling directions I was given by the producers. I understood that some songs were about the beat and having fun, but that didn't stop me from wanting to extend my vocals to the best of their ability, after all, I was signed because of my voice. The producers, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice my voice that much at all. "Stop 'oo-ing' and 'aw-ing' so much" they told me. "Just sing the song, straight out."

I feel bad complaining because not all the producers were that bad. As an end result, although I wish I would have had more vocal inputs, I was happy with most of the recordings. Between all the different producers I had worked with, we had about 25 good songs.

"It's too many," Tig said. "We can't throw half of them out- there to good for that, but there are way too many songs for one album."

"What are we going to do with them then?" I asked. I knew Tig was right; choosing which songs to keep was going to be impossible.

"Well, we are going to have to release some of them later on. But I don't think we should make a whole separate album because they are a lot of the same style, the same type of music. The whole idea of an album is to create something new." Tig ranted.

"Well, what about an EP?" I asked him

"What did you say?" he asked me, eyes wide.

"An EP, you know… an extended play." I told him.

"Yes, I know what an extended play is. That's brilliant Wonder!" he exclaimed. "That's exactly what we will do. Choose about twelve random songs out of the group for the first album, but make sure you leave some good ones for later too. I'll take a look at what you've chosen later and we will go over it." Tig instructed me.

It was only two days later when I sat in Tig's office with a list of the songs I had chosen for my debut album in hand. "Read me what you got." Tig said.

I read " _…Baby One More Time, Genie In a Bottle, Sometimes, What A Girl Wants, Soda Pop, From The Bottom Of My Broken Heart, I Will Be There, Thinkin' About You, E-Mail My Heart, _and the cover of Cher's _The Beat Goes On." _

"That's ten songs. Good, I like it." He looked at me approvingly. "So now we need to focus on the name of the album."

"Well I thought you said the label wanted it to be called '_…Baby One More Time'_?"

"Yes, that was originally the plan, but-"Tig cut off as all five-foot-two of Kayla walked in.

"Wonder fucking Blake!" She called out

Tig sighed. "Kayla, we didn't have an appointment today."

Kayla sized him up with her gorgeous almond shaped green eyes. "Well, I don't think I have to make an appointment with anyone anymore, right? I mean, my last album sold, ka-ching ka-ching, I believe five million copies?"

"Diva." Tig said.

"Asshole." She replied. They both laughed as if they were only having fun, but I didn't think they were joking. I jumped up to give Kayla a hug. I saw her green eyes go dim for a moment and I realized that she was looking through me to find a piece of Lucky.

"So Tig here pulled you into this racket, eh?" She ran her fingers through my blond streaked hair and glanced at my half top. "You're going to open for me next month, right?" I nodded, eager to please. "Alright! Well come on. I have a car waiting for us downstairs, so we can go play!"

Tig said, "We are working, Kayla. You two can have play date later. Kayla looked at me with a look of remorse.

"Come on, Tig. I've been working my ass off! _Please, please, please!" _I whimpered and begged like a puppy.

"Oh, fine. Play the cute card on me. Yeah, I can see I'm not going to win this one, but Wonder, the car will pick you up at seven A.M to bring you to dance rehearsals." Tig compromised. "Bad influence!" he said while pointing to Kayla.

"Yeah yeah, you know you love it!" she teased as she flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. After we left his office Kayla turned to look at me. "He's afraid that I'm going to corrupt you!" she giggled.

I didn't have a chance to beg her to corrupt me before a giant ZZ Top-meets-sumo wrestler-looking dude pounced to Kayla's side. He was about six-foot-five million inches tall, with thinning gray hair pulled back into a ponytail. He must have weighed three hundred pounds easy, and wore blue jeans and motorcycle boots.

"Wonder, I'd like you to meet Karl Murphy. Karl is THE man, stalkers beware!" she told me as we got inside the mammoth sized SUV. I recognized Kayla's grandmother sitting in the first row of seats. Seeing her face reminded me of back when Lucky and I used to hang out at her house making cookies. A young guy reclined behind Kayla's gram with a grim expression on his face. The guy had a mess of brown hair with random green spots in it and hazel eyes that glared at me like I'd committed some sort of atrocity by stepping into the vehicle.

Because Kayla sat next to her grandmother, I was forced next to the dude scowling. He didn't move over to give me any of the 80% of the seat he was occupying. Kayla turned to him and smacked his Converse that were resting on the back of her seat. "Make room for my girl, Liam!" she told him.

Liam, whoever he was, moved his baggy pants over just enough that I could fit in the seat. He literally inspected me, inching his way from bottom to top, starting with my cotton-candy colored toes in their rhinestone-specked sandals, working his way up to my shredded cut-off denim miniskirt, stopping at the midriff bared between my skirt and tight shirt, then a long-_long-_pause on my chest, and finally up until his hazel eyes met my blue eyes. His eyes held me in a dead stare-down. _Who was this person?_

"Oh god," Liam finally said. "Don't tell me you're the new pop princess. Tig must breed you all like rabbits."

"Wonder, meet Liam. He's Karl's son and unfortunate hanger-on during college boy here's school vacation. See. It's his spring-break, when normal red-blooded freshman males would be in Cancun ogling drunk sorority girls in wet T-shirt contests. Instead, Liam came here to New York with some lame excuse about needing to do research at the New York public Library for an anthropology term paper." Liam's scowl morphed into an ironic smile, as if he enjoyed Kayla's ribbing on him. "So please excuse his rudeness. He's still bitter because his high school garage band sucked so he was forced to resort to an embarrassing Ivy League existence at Dannon Yogurt University-"

"It's Dartmouth," Liam interrupted. Liam and Kayla were definitely a couple, even if they didn't see it yet.

Kayla and I spent hours shopping at really expensive places. The best part about it: Kayla was paying. She said I had to look cute if I wanted to be a pop star. "Plus," she said. "You have to look hot for tonight."

"What's tonight?" I asked her.

"My place. You, me, and some friends. My assistant has already made the calls."

* * *

><p>Kayla had stocked my coming-out party with some prime time players. But first the guests had to make it through Judie (Karl's substitute for the night) and then they were free into Kayla's Brooklyn apartment. The reason Kayla chose Brooklyn rather than some overly priced closet apartment in Manhattan is because she decided the four fully-furnished floors of wide space was worth it. Plus, her grandmother got the first floor; Kayla had floors two and three to herself, and four floor was where Karl slept (or Judie, for tonight).<p>

Kayla's dancers were the first one to show up to the party. You always knew that someone famous had walked in when all the dancers went quite for a moment, then burst into exited whispers. Standing before me was Freddy Porter, dreamy beach-blond-haired, blue-eyed, six-foot-tall ex B-Kid member turned boy band heart throb- and he was all of eighteen years old! "Whoa, look what happened to Wonder from the B-Kid block!" he said when he saw me. Lucky's kid sister was dolled up. I was wearing an I-can't-barely-breath tight black dress with spiked heel and ankle ribbon shoes that Kayla bought me on our shopping adventure.

Freddy whispered into my ear, "Are you ready to pick-up where we left off?" Of course he had to remember my embarrassing first kiss that took place when I was twelve. Luckily, I didn't have to answer as J- simply "J", no first name, no last name, no letters in between- walked up next to Freddy. J was pretty much the drive time of top 40 radios in the nation.

"So you're the big sensation the whole music business is talking about?" J said. I was surprised. My single hadn't even come out yet. It wasn't long until the two pop stars joined the rest of actor and rappers that had joined the party. The music blaring was not Kayla or any kind of pop for that matter, this group strictly only got down to R&B types such as Mary J. Blige, Parliament, and then some Chaka Khan.

I felt extremely out of place. I had never been to a party like this and I was pretty sure I was the youngest one there. On impulse I ran upstairs and straight into the bathroom. What I didn't expect to see was Liam, standing half-naked with only a towel around his waist.

"Do you not knock, princess?" he said angry.

I tried very hard to keep my eyes off of his tight abs. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize… I thought Karl was out… I didn't…" I stuttered.

"You okay there, princess?" he asked me.

"Excuse me, I have a name. It's Wonder."

"You're looking kinda flustered there, WONDER. You're going to need more stamina than that if you want to make it in this business."

"Screw off! What do you know about this anyways?" As if I was going to sit there and listen to his sarcasm drooping more than the shower water rolling down his chest. _What a jerk_, I thought as I went back downstairs. I was going to show him!

"Want one?" Jules (Kayla's assistant) asked me, offering me a Cosmopolitan. I took it reluctantly. I felt an arm around my waist.

"It's your turn to show us what you've got!" Freddy Porter said. And after sipping down Cosmo #2 I was ready to hit the dance floor. "Mm… that girl can dance!" Freddy said as I got started.

It wasn't long until the whole crowd started to sing "Go Wonder! Go Wonder!"

After the fourth song, I was finally feeling out of breath. "Wonder, Wonder, Wonder," Freddy said as he sat down next to me on the sofa. "I always knew you were going to grow up to be super hot." I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I didn't respond at all. All of the sudden Freddy turned serious. "So do you have any college plans or are you going to take the Kayla way out?"

"Well, I don't see college in the plans, but I do think I might want to finish high school- with a tutor, of course." No way was I going back to an actual school.

A couple of B-List actors waved at Freddy from across the room. "Hey, I'll catch up with you later." He told me as he headed off in their direction. I got up and ran back upstairs and barged into Liam's room.

He took of his huge headphones and glared at me. "I repeat, princess: Do you not know how to knock?" he got up and came closer to me. "Your face is all flushed. You've been drinking!"

"So? I only had like two drinks!"

He looked at me as if he didn't believe a word. "Trust me. Those people down there, they aren't your friends. How many drinks has Kayla had?" He asked me.

"Why do you care? You _so _like Kayla!" I accused.

"Yeah, I like her okay." He said.

"No, you like-like her." I said sounding sultry and deep as I got up to walk out. I stood against the door for a moment trying to zip up the back of my dress that I had unzipped before coming in here in attempt to give me some room to breathe. "Help me, please!" I asked as he stared at me. He could at least make himself useful!

He stepped over and practically got in my face. He played with the zipper until he got it up and then stared at my cleavage. "That's some dress you got there, princess."

"I would prefer if you didn't call me that, it's rude."

"Okay, Kayla-Junior." He replied.

Grrr… "You like-like Kayla!" I teased.

"Do not,"

"Do too!"

"I'll prove it to you!" he said as he pinned me against the wall. His legs pressed into mine and I felt a feeling of _uh-oh _go through my body. His body leaned into mine and then our lips were touching.

Somewhere in the middle of the lip-lock I mumbled, "What are you doing?"

"Proving to you how much I don't like Kayla." He mumbled before going back to kissing me. I let him do this for about three or four minutes. He was an amazing kisser, much better than Doug and much less sloppy.

In the moment he took to catch his breath, I moved over to resist the urge to jump his bones completely. I said, "But aren't you just proving to me the opposite?" Then I left the room.

* * *

><p>It turns out that Kayla's party was just about over. After Kayla caught someone smoking dope she told everyone it was time to go, and in good time too because a drunk Freddy was about to come very close to groping my breasts. After everyone left Kayla marched to her bedroom with Jules in tow. I'm not exactly sure how or when I got upstairs after that. All I know is that I woke up in Liam's bedroom completely dressed in Liam's shirt.<p>

My head was pounding so loud I probably wouldn't have heard him if Liam wasn't shaking me. "Wonder, get up! There is a car waiting for you downstairs." He yelled.

"No!" I said. "Go away!"

Liam stood up out of sleeping back that he put on the floor next to me. He handed me my makeup and toothbrush bag and said, "8448". What is that supposed to mean?

I cleaned myself up in the bathroom and changed in my clothes from before the party that were neatly folded on the toilet seat. Shit! It was 7:15 and I was supposed to leave by 7! I understood what 8448 meant only when I got to the security code downstairs. "Thank you, Liam" I said under my breath.

I felt like a vampire being burned by the light when I stepped outside to get to the car. Tig was sitting inside. "Are you hung over?" he asked me when he saw me cover my ears at the sound of the engine. "I can't believe this! I thought you were smarter than that!"

"I'm sorry. Please don't be mean." I begged.

"Mean? Wonder, I gave you the whole day off to play, even though the record company expects us to put this album out by like, tomorrow!" he explained. "I'm cancelling dance rehearsals today, but you are going to be rehearsing for Kayla's tour for the rest of the week!"

"Fine! Thank you, Tig!" I said before falling asleep in the car.

* * *

><p>It wasn't a week before Kayla invited me to ditch my crappy apartment and move in with her. Tig wasn't too happy about the arrangement, but I promised that my drinking days were <em>so<em> over. I moved into an extra bedroom right across the hall from Liam. When I left Devonport, I literally left it. Nothing but clothes came with me. Kayla took care of making the room feel like home for me by adding pictures of Lucky and Zoe and decorating with candles.

It was a quite Sunday morning when I heard music blaring from Liam's room at 7:00. "Can you turn that off!" I yelled as I barged into his room.

"Cute outfit, princess!" he replied. I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing a white T-shirt with the words "Sk8er bitch" across it, without a bra, and red and green boxer shorts. "Just keep it down so I can sleep." I told him.

"Be up in time for dinner, snookums!" he called back.

* * *

><p>Only one more day until Liam went up to his mom's for the rest of break, surely, I could deal. "So, are you and Liam a couple?" I asked Kayla when we were alone in her room.<p>

"What? No way!" she replied as she put on Eminem on her stereo. He rapped about how he couldn't stand boy groups, particularly the one Freddy Porter fronted. "I love him to death but he's like a brother!"

"He likes you." I told her.

"I bet my parents would love if I dated him." Kayla's parents were super smart professors who were pretty much embarrassed by Kayla's career. "Actually, they've been begging me to get with Dean Marconi." Dean was a former B-Kid who not only is an Oscar-winning movie star, but he also attends Yale. He had always been a pretentious asshole. "I mean sure, he's smart and all. But I'm not sure if he even has a preference for the ladies…" I wasn't sure if Kayla was serious or not.

Later that night, when I was alone in my room reading, I looked up to see Liam standing over my bed. "Yes?" I said as I took of my headphones.

"You're singing out loud." He said. "But you sounded pretty good singing Janis Joplin, I wouldn't have expected you to like her."

"Well, there are a lot of things you don't know about me. You just met me, after all." I replied.

"Well, I would say we got to know each other pretty good, don't you think?" he said. "I still haven't heard a thank you for helping you out the other night…"

"Thank you? For what, changing my clothes?"

"Well a fella's got to get some privileges when saving the ass of the underage damsel in distress." My eyes popped wide open. "I'm just teasing you! You changed yourself-pretty poorly, I might add- and you kept saying"-Liam inserted a thick drunken Boston accent here- "look the othuh way when ahm changin'. But it was all you. Give me some credit." His hand reached for mine.

I said, "Your dad is across the hall, what are you doing?"

His face moved in closer to mine. "He's out. Kayla called Jules and they are out hitting the clubs." I wondered why Kayla hadn't invited Liam and me to go with them.

I reluctantly moved my hand away. "You like Kayla. Don't try to deny it."

"She's practically my family. She doesn't like my kind." He said. I wasn't sure what he meant by "his kind". Kayla wasn't a snob. It's not as if she wouldn't date him just because he wasn't famous. "Plus, maybe I like someone else." Then his lips were on mine. I knew it was coming, in fact, I was hoping for it.

I tried to regain some of my dignity by pulling back and saying, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get you to shut up. You know, you look really pretty without make-up and those pop star clothes." He said before I pressed my mouth to his in order to get him to shut up.

We made out for about fifteen minutes before he stopped. "I'm tired." He said. And I was too, so we fell asleep in my bed, fully clothed, and snuggled all night long. In the morning he was gone, along with his belongings, and he hadn't even bothered to leave a note saying good-bye.


	6. Genie in a Bottle

**Hey guys! so in this chapter Wonder realizes what it's like to have to deal with Kayla (her Pop Star mentor) for long periods of time and she doesnt know if she can handle it. along with promotion of her album and her newfound fame, she also has boy problems. when her and Liam get to the next stage in there relationship she may realize he isnt who she thinks he is. maybe there will be another guy waiting for her in the horizon? we'll see! please review(:**

* * *

><p>Did Liam like me, or was he just using me as some Kayla substitute? And why hadn't he even bothered to call me during the two weeks that he's been gone?<p>

"Wonder!" Kayla said. "Smile!" We were at an industry function to promote my single. The place was filled with radio and music channel executives. At least there was one person I was glad to see at my party: Will Nieves.

"I love your dress!" he told me as he approached. It was a gift from Kayla. There were only a couple of minutes left until they would show my video to everyone in the room. As a nervous habit, I began to bite my nails. I still hadn't seen the video yet. On set, I was happy with the way everything turned out, but who knows what editing can do. I just hoped there were no animated monsters added in.

The lights dimmed before the video started. I had seen myself on TV as a B-Kid many times before, but nothing could have prepared me to see the Wonder Blake on the screen now. That girl was pranced around so confidently that I didn't even recognize her. The way her eyes seductively looked up at the camera, the video was a lot sexier than I had imagined- in a good way. The audience in the room must have sensed the same thing because all conversation stopped as everyone stared. Kayla dropped her supportive clutch on my hand. Will Nieves pulled me into another hug. From the record execs I heard mutters of, "Video nomination of the year for sure!" Kayla pranced to the other side of the room and gave me the most terrifying glare I had ever seen.

Less than six months ago I was scrubbing floors at Dairy Queen. Now, Cinderella was in full pop princess glory, standing before the gigantic top floor windows of a loft television studio in Tribeca to introduce _"…Baby One More Time"_ as my first single and my album "_Genie in A Bottle" _would follow only two months later. Out the window you could clearly see an ad of yours truly bending over to tie her shoes for a popular shoe company.

J (whom I had met at Kayla's party) was the host of the show, _J-Pop, _that regularly showed the most popular music video count. Staring at my poster made me think just how strange my image was: innocent yet sexy. It was then that my cell phone rang.

"Hello." I answered.

"Hey, butthole!" My little brother Charlie said. "The whole town is going to be watching J-Pop. Don't mess up or else I won't be able to show my face at school tomorrow!" he said before the whole family took turns wishing me well.

"Here, someone else wants to talk to you." Mom said before handing off the phone.

"Oh my god, Wonder!" Katie squealed. "The whole town is talking about you! No one can believe it! What is Kayla like? Have you met any other famous people?" How nice. Katie wants to talk to me now that I'm possibly going to be famous.

"Is Henry there?" I asked. There was a moment of silence.

Opera Man came on the phone singing, "I_s this the girl, who doesn't return my e-mails, doesn't, I suspect, even open them, I'm going, to slit my wrists now." _I smiled.

"Henry, I miss you!" I realized how much I meant it. I sucked. If it was Liam who e-mailed me, I would have cancelled my whole day just to read it over and over. Yet, I hadn't responded to Henry, who I had known forever.

"Why don't we catch up then? Tell me everything!" He replied.

"I would love to! But I really have to go! I'll call you soon, promise!" it was half true. I knew I would call him eventually; I just wasn't sure how soon it would be. Kayla walked up next to me.

"Have you heard from Liam?" I asked her without thinking.

"Liam? What the hell… you're going to be on live television any minute now, and you're thinking about Liam? What, do you like him or something?" shit. That was bad.

"Um…no. I just…" I stuttered as Tig came up and told us we had to go on in like two seconds. I tugged at the ends of the plaid skirt I was wearing. My outfit for the show was sexy-school-girl style, not much different then what I wear in the video.

"Fuck Liam!" Kayla told me. "Think of me! Think of Lucky!" she said before running on stage. I watched the live TV that was hung over my head.

We're introducing to you today a singer that we think is going to be huge." J said to the audience. "But I'm not going to be the one to tell you about her. Everyone welcome Kayla!" The audience cheered.

"What up NEW YORK?" she yelled. They chatted for a moment about Kayla's new tour and video and perhaps her movie career down the road. Then, they got down to business. "So I _have _to introduce you all to my opening act, she's practically my little sister, Wonder Blake!"

That was my queue to run out on stage. "Wonder here, is another B-Kid alumni, just like Kayla, Freddy Porter, and Dean Marconi!" J explained.

"She was like the baby of the group!" Kayla said putting her arm around me while twirling the ends of my hair.

"But now this little girl is all grown up." J spoke. "So recently I met you at Kayla's house and one thing I noticed is that you're an amazing dancer! Was that your favorite part of your making your music video?" he asked me.

Tig had told me to be myself; he didn't want me to be a Kayla clone. "I love to dance! It was definitely a highlight! But the best part of the video was that I got to meet Will Nieves! I have been crushing on him since seventh grade!" I saw some girls in the audience nod their heads.

J showed a video clip of Kayla and I doing a hip-hop routine back on B-Kidz. The whole crowd "Aw-ed" at how cute we were. "But it gets even better!" J said before showing another video of Freddy and I kissing on B-Kidz.

"You are so lucky!" screamed a girl from the crowd.

"Isn't that adorable?" J asked. "We still have one more surprise today! Wonder, someone is calling for you." he told me before Freddy's face popped up on the screen.

"Wonder, J, Kayla!" Freddy said.

"Freddy! What's up, dawg?" J spoke. "So, to Wonder's apparent mortification, we have been sharing a video clip of Wonder's first kiss, which just so happened to be with you! Want to share any memories on the magical moment?"

"Wonder was an awesome kisser! Did she tell you that we practiced a couple of times in the dressing room before doing it on set?" Freddy said.

I blushed. "It's true! Practice makes perfect!" But, of course, we only practiced once.

"You never told me that!" Kayla poked me in the ribs as she giggled.

J laughed. "Wonder, would you like to introduce your video?"

I was in Kayla's oversized SUV on my way back from J-Pop when a text lit up my phone. It was from Liam! "_Pop princess: _J-Pop _makes me wanna puke, but I have to admit you were a star! When can I see you again? ; - L_"

I couldn't take it anymore! I was about to interrogate Karl on all things Liam, when Kayla whispered into my ear. "I meant to tell you, but you've been going to sleep so early every night! I hooked up with Dean Marconi. We're unofficially a thing!" she told me.

"But I thought you said Dean was gay." I responded.

"Not all the time." her voice oozed with_ duh._

"Lucky never liked Dean." I told her.

"Lucky's standards were impossible! I'm amazed she liked _me!"_ Kayla said. "So listen, Dean wants me to audition for a role in this movie. It's a small part but it has some really hot love scenes! I think this is what I need! After this tour, I'm ready to move on to something bigger."

"Bigger? Like, away from your music career?" I asked.

"Well, not completely. I might make a few more albums, but I want acting to be my main thing. Plus, I fucking hate this "innocent pop star" image. I wanna be hot and mature." She explained. I wasn't about to say anything, but I truly didn't think Kayla was ready. Not only was she not that great of an actress, but she was already pushing her limits.

"What does Tig think of this?" I asked her. After all, he knew best.

"Tig? He can't know, not about the movie or Dean!"

"Be careful, or you just might lose your manager." I told her. It was one thing to have an opinion and go against what Tig says; it was another to be hiding things from him.

"Ugh, as if." She rolled her eyes. "So, Freddy Porter wants to go out with you."

Honestly, he was a cute guy but I was just too into Liam. "I don't know. I'm not sure if I like him."

"I hear the guy is a major STD case. Plus, Dean told me that he plays some kind of sick game where he steals the virginities of as many pop stars as possible." She whispered.

Ew. "That's disgusting." Well, that was one phone call I was going to reject. It was strange because I remember truly liking him back when we were on B-Kidz. Freddy and I were actually kinda close. I was going to voice this when something much more important came into my mind. "Turn it up, turn it up!" I screamed as I heard the opening beat to "…Baby One More Time" on the radio.

Karl must have witnessed a scene like this before because he turned at me and smiled. "You never forget the first time." he said.

* * *

><p>There was no such thing as a bad day in the life of a pop princess. You could be upset, but you could never show it. So it wasn't long until a smile was permanently plastered through my face during the endless interviews, appearances, and behind-the-scenes cameras that followed me throughout my day. I was standing behind a curtain in a mall in New Hampshire waiting to perform songs from my album to about one thousand screaming pre-teens and their parents. "You know her from "…Baby One More Time", her song that just hit number 5 this week! Everyone, welcome Wonder Blake!" said the man on stage. I pounced on stage wearing skin-tight leather pants and a sequined bra top. I was amazed by the amounts of people who came to see me, but more than anything, I was distracted because I saw Liam in the front of the crowd.<p>

I went straight into performing a song called "Genie in a Bottle" with five male back-up dancers behind me. Unlike Kayla, I actually sang live. "_I feel like I've been locked up tight for a century of lonely nights, waiting for someone to release me. You're licking your lips and blowing kisses my way, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna give it away. Baby, baby, baby." _I sang into the crowd, embarrassed because I just realized how sexual the lyrics sounded. I looked directly at Liam. "_If you wanna be with me, baby there's a price to pay. I'm a genie in a bottle; you gotta rub me the right way. If you wanna be with me, I can make your wish come true. You gotta make a big impression, you gotta like what you do." _I went on to perform four more songs ending with "…Baby One More Time" which everyone in the crowd knew the words too.

After, I was led to a table in front of JC Penny's to sign autographs at. Liam showed up with a cover of Teen Magazine with my face on it for me to sign. "You're all over the place these days, even more than Kayla when she first started." I blushed. "I like your hair, by the way."

I had dyed my hair from dirty blonde to platinum. "Thanks," I said before Tig interrupted.

"We will continue this later. Keep the line moving." Liam went around to the back of the table to talk to Tig. While signing autographs, I tried my best to eavesdrop. Because I was going back home for a couple days before returning to Kayla's tour called "The Don't Break My Hear Tour" (I thought the name was stupid, but it was named after Kayla's hit song), Liam had offered to drive me home since he was heading that way to get to his moms house. Score!

* * *

><p>Of course, Liam drove a beat-up old VW bus from like 70-something. He opened the passenger door and gave me his hand to help me into the seat. I tried to ignore the feeling of electricity racing through my body.<p>

When Liam turned on the car "…Baby One More Time" was playing on the radio. "This song is everywhere! It's impossible to escape." He laughed. "It's kind of a guilty pleasure of mine."

I smiled. "Thanks."

"Did you write it?" he asked looking as if he already knew the answer.

"Yes. I mean, not alone. I wrote it with a man named Max Martin. I'm the one who picked it as my single." I said bragging only a little bit.

He looked surprised. "Wow," he said. "I didn't know pop princesses had any say in their music."

"What do you mean? I chose the songs I did and didn't want for the album. I wrote on every single track. I came up with the concept for the video." It came out way more defensive than I intended.

"I believe you! It's just Kayla never writes her own songs or anything. She pretty much gets told what to do, but even if she wanted to, I doubt Kayla would be allowed to call her own shots." He explained. He was right, Kayla got no say in her career- not that she wanted to have a say. More than anything, she just wanted to get her way, even though I'm not sure she knows what her way is.

"I guess you have to be controlling from the beginning…" I mumbled, not sure if I wanted to go against Kayla. "Fuck the song, how the hell is your life?" I asked him. "Please, tell me anything about you. It's _so_ not fair, I wonder about you all the time." I was surprised at how bold I was being.

There was a slight upturn in his lips, as if he was flattered or relieved. We talked about everything. His school, his family, at one point he even mentioned me meeting his mom.

"She is really into music, she would like you."

"Well I doubt she listens to teen pop." I responded

"She would like _you,_ not the pop princess. My dad always talks about how you are a good kid." Karl said nice things about me?

"I thought your parents are divorced."

"They are. But they are still involved. It's strange because sometimes when my dad gets off of following Kayla around he will just stay with my mom. It's weird." He said.

"That's nice! My family needs a communal Zoloft prescription just to be in the same house! My family is so messed up." I stopped myself before I told him something I had never told anyone. "At least you know your family loves each other, even if it's not perfect."

"I guess," he said. "That's a nice way of looking at it. Are you hungry? We can stop at McDonald's or something."

"Yes, I'm starved. I'm so tired too." I said. "Thank you for driving me and all, I really appreciate it."

"Whoa, slow down. First you agree to eating fast food, then you say thank you? At last, she breaks out of the Kayla mold!" he joked.

"I may be almost a pop star now, but I am still a human. Besides, I just pretend to eat healthy. I love fast food." He looked at me and shook his head.

After going through the drive through to avoid being recognized, Liam said, "I have a sleeping bag in the back if you want to nap. I can just read out on the beach with a flashlight."

"Sure."

* * *

><p>"How long have I been sleeping? I asked when I woke up.<p>

"About two hours," Liam said as he pushed a piece of my hair away from my face and stroked my cheek. "Can I kiss you?" he asked.

"Since when do you have to ask?" I asked before bringing his lips to mine.

* * *

><p>I didn't intend for Liam to be a part of Freddy's game, it just happened. In the heat of the moment, I had lost my virginity. The experience was okay-nice, not earth-shattering, not scary, a little tender, and a lot hurried. I wasn't exactly upset that it happened, but it wasn't what I thought it would be. Afterwards, Liam definitely didn't want to talk about IT. It was silent for a while before we started to talk about random unimportant things; it was awkward. When I finally got home, Liam gave me one last kiss before I went inside.<p>

Zoe was probably the most excited to see me. "Wonder! You're an actual singer!" she said.

"Yeah! You didn't realize that already?" Charlie said.

"I knew you sang. But then I heard you on the radio!" Zoe exclaimed. "All the kids at school love you!"

"Aw thanks!" I said as I hugged her. All I ever wanted was to be a role model in Zoe's life, like Lucky was to me.

So this is what catching up with the family is like. Charlie, apparently, had been caught smoking weed. Mom was still working at the grocery store, and dad was still at home writing his "novel". Dad made it perfectly clear that while I was still his little girl and he loved me, that he wasn't impressed with me not trying for a G.E.D. "I really wish you would do this, Wonder. You may regret it later on."

I felt bad for letting my dad down. Especially because I knew he was right. Just because Kayla didn't get hers didn't mean that I couldn't. "If it means that much to you, I'll do it. I will study and stuff during my free time on tour." This seemed to ease him a little bit.

The next morning, I was getting ready for a run when Charlie walked in my room with a pretty blonde girl in tow. "Wonder, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend." I couldn't believe it; Charlie had a better love life than me (I still hadn't heard from Liam).

"Hey, I'm Amy." She said. "I've seen you on TV and stuff. I like your song."

"We are going to Dairy Queen. Wanna come?" Charlie offered.

"I'm going for a run, but I'll walk with you guys for a while." I replied.

I ended up running to Dairy Queen after I ran to the beach. I sat with my brother and his girlfriend while they told me about how people teased him when my song first came out. I felt bad, until his girlfriend told me he was one of the strongest guys so it never got that far. Then they went on to tell me how many friends he had in his skater group. I realized how much I missed my brother.

How ironic, but Jen Burke, Doug, and their posse walked right past me into a booth without even noticing me. "Hold on a sec," I said to my brother before getting up. I took my hair out of my cap I used as a disguise, and unzipped my jacket so my tight abs were perfectly visible. "Hey guys!" I said to them.

"Hey Wonder!" said a girl in Jen's clique. "I'm Christine, remember, from third hour? Will you sign this?" she asked as she held out a copy of Seventeen Magazine with my face on the cover. Why yes, Christine, I remember you making farting noises at my audition for the school play. Now you want my autograph?

Jen silenced her friend with a glare. Doug said, "Check you out, Wonder! Are you here to play with the band again? You look awesome!"

I shook my head. "I'm like, on tour with Kayla now." I smiled.

"Oh, that's awesome. Look, the band made a demo tape." He said as he handed me a CD he so conveniently had at hand. "Do you think you could like give it to your record company or whatever?" Um, AS IF.

"Sure!" I said in my fakest voice. "Well, see you later!" I said before I turned around. After telling Charlie I would meet up with him at home, I dumped Doug's CD into the garbage can, making sure he saw. I know it was a bit over board, but hey, I'm a pop star not a saint.

* * *

><p>"Wonder!" Katie ran up to me as I got back from my run. Although I was kinda pissed at Katie for ditching me at school, I didn't feel as if she deserved the same treatment I gave Jen and Doug. We had known each other forever!<p>

"Katie!" I gave her a hug.

"You look so good! And tan!" she said inspecting my spray-tan.

"Thanks, you look good to!" and she did. She had gotten her braces off and lost weight. "How's your brother?"

She smiled. "You care about him more than me!" she accused me. "Come inside." I followed Katie inside to see the back of a very muscular shirtless guy standing in Henry's room. Had Henry gotten some hot friends?

The guy turned around. Oh my god, it was Henry! He had gotten his hair cut and he looked hot! "Henry!" I ran up to him and have him a hug.

He hugged me back but said, "You never called me."

"I know, I know. I feel so bad. Are you mad at me?" I asked.

"Kinda. But I understand. You're busy, I'll get over it." He smiled and so I did too.

"So how have you been, Science Project?" I asked him when his sister left the room. It was kinda strange how Katie and I used to make him feel like he was the third wheel. It made sense though, that I would be more excited to see Henry now. He was the person I sat with at lunch every day at school, not Katie.

"I'm alright. You know, still skipping the prom and stuff because I don't have a date." He said. I was surprised. Science Project definitely didn't look like a science project anymore. He must have been working out.

"Why not?" I asked.

"I did, actually. But she got sick. It's okay though, I didn't like her that much or anything. It was Claire Henderson…" I knew Claire. She was nice and pretty. She was good for Henry.

"Well that's too bad. Who would want to miss there prom? When is it?"

"Tonight. That's why Katie left, so she could get ready. You should come." He invited.

"What? No way." I said.

"Why not? You practically just said you wouldn't want to miss your prom?"

"Okay, but everyone there hates me. I would have no one to talk to."

"I would talk to you. Come on, Wonder! Don't you just want this one high school memory?" he persuaded me. If it wasn't for the fact that Henry was going to miss it if I didn't go, I would have said no.

I sighed. "Fine. I have to shower, then I'll be over."

* * *

><p>The prom wasn't a good idea. I wore a pretty red dress that I bought for a movie premiere and silver heels. Even though Henry said I looked beautiful (which kinda freaked me out because he was like a brother) Jen Burke said I looked like a slut. Doug, apparently, did not get the message when I dumped his CD in the trash because, while dancing, he practically tried to grope me and I had to turn my head from him so he wouldn't try to kiss me.<p>

To make matters worse, the DJ decided he wanted to play "…Baby One More Time". Instead of a bunch of people screaming "Go Wonder!" like they did at Kayla's party, the entire crowd of people had moved away from the dance floor. I'm not sure how she did it, but Jen Burke was definitely behind this. She smirked at me and said, "Wow, look! They cleared the floor for you! Don't you wanna go out there and perform for us?" followed by an evil cackle. Everyone in the room stared at me expectantly.

"I am so sorry!" Henry told me as he rushed me out of the school's gym.

"I ruined your prom." I sniffled out in Henry's car. Somehow I had managed to keep my cool in front of Jen, but once I got outside the tears flowed freely.

"No you didn't! If anything you made it more memorable!" he said. He must've realized that he wasn't making me feel better. "Wonder, you're better than them! You didn't do anything wrong, so this is clearly a jealousy thing." He told me.

I laughed. "I thought I was away from all this. Big enough so high school couldn't hit me, you know?" I let out a sob.

"Please don't cry." He asked me. "I hate that you're so upset over this."

I took a deep breath. "Thank you, Henry. For caring; even after I didn't call you back and stuff."

"No. it's okay. Thanks for coming with me, even though it turned out to be a disaster." He hugged me. Henry drove me home and I made a mental note to e-mail him regularly from now on. He was a good friend, a lot better than I was.

* * *

><p>Philadelphia was the twenty-fifth city on the tour. I would always remember that because Philadelphia was the city I was in when I found out "…Baby One More Time" had hit number one. My response would have normally been jumping and screaming, but since Kayla shrugged it off like it was no big deal, I did too.<p>

"That's awesome Wonder! It kinda sucks that this is only your first single, though." Kayla had said. She had only just gotten her first number one two months ago and she was already on her third album.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, now you're always going to have to live up to that." She scared me. "I mean you wouldn't want people to think you were just a one-hit-Wonder!" She laughed at her own joke.

"That's ridiculous! Don't listen to her" Tig said. "You will not be a one-hit anything! Now that this single has done so well, we really need to get this next single out the door."

"About that… what is the next single?" I asked.

Tig stared at me "Genie in a Bottle, of course!" he said like it was common sense. "The song is a hit! Probably just as good as '…Baby One More Time'!"

"Um… is it okay if I pick something else?" I said as smoothly as I could.

"What, you don't like the song? You co-wrote it!" he said.

"Yeah, but _Baby One More Time_ was a catchy pop song. I want to make sure that everyone knows that I'm more than just a dancer, I'm a singer too. Don't you think the second single should be something with more… vocals?" I argued.

"Right, I understand where you are coming from. The only problem is that the record label already has it set, they want to name the album _Genie in a Bottle _and everything!" he explained. "Look, if you want me to, I will try. Just don't shoot the messenger when the label says no."

I was pissed. Not really at Tig, because he said he would try. But more at the fact that I was being pushed around like Kayla. "Okay thanks, Tig"

"Yeah, and we need to talk, in private." Tig said while eyeing Kayla.

"Fine, tell secrets without me, like I care!" Kayla spat as she stomped out of the room. What was her deal?

"Kayla wants to change your set list. She thinks you're taking up to much time before the show." He said. That was such bull shit because I only had an eight song list, while she had twenty-four. "Honestly, I think she's just jealous because of the encore's the fans have been calling for the last few nights."

The fact that fans had actually called me for an encore was crazy, considering that before my song was on the top 40 people actually threw stuff at me claiming they wanted Kayla. I couldn't believe it. All I got was five male dancers to back me up, Kayla got like 40 and a whole stage with light, explosions, and more. Why would she want to take from my eight songs? "What the fuck?"

"It's okay, though. We will shorten the list to five songs, but I have a way to make it up to you."

"How?"

"You are going to headline your own tour! It's not going to be huge like Kayla's, but it'll be something." Tig said.

"Seriously? Oh my god? When?" I asked, totally excited.

"In three weeks, when Kayla's tour ends, we will go straight into planning and rehearsals." He told me. "You can tell Kayla if you want, but I would wait until later. She seems to be in a bad mood."

Tig was right. Kayla was always being bitchy these days. Actually the only times she was happy were when she was locked up in her room with Jules playing x box or whatever.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, I had so <em>not <em>forgotten about Liam. In the past month since we did IT, I had called him only twice and he had called me back…hmm, never. I did talk to him a couple times, though. Whenever Karl was on the phone with him he would hand the phone to me saying Liam wanted to talk. Of course, it was always just friendly banter, but I would have appreciated the gesture a lot more if he actually gave me a separate phone call.

"Shut the door behind you." Kayla said one day as I sauntered to the back of the bus where she slept. "You have to listen to this voicemail that I got!" she said as she got out her phone.

I heard Liam's voice drunk and slurred. "Mmmm, k, whassup? So are we gonna finish what we started anytime, or what? I know we only messed around once, but I've been thinking about you, like, so much. Like, all the time. You're torturing me. I know you know that I have feelings for you, so why do you treat me like dirt, ignore me and stuff? I gotta move on. There's another girl I like. She's no you, but she's cute. I don't want to be wasting my time waiting on you Kayla." He started singing, " _Quit playin' games with tearing up my heart" _it was a song by 'N Sync (Freddy's boy group). "or what's that fucking song anyway?" then in the background somebody said, "Dude, you are so wasted. How are you getting home?" and then the message cut off.

Kayla was gleaming. I felt dead inside. "Ew, so what do you think of that shit?" she asked me. "We hooked up like once and now he's like a stalker. I was going to tell Karl but I chickened out. Do you think Liam is, like, a stalker? I think I'm going to have Tig fire Karl. It's just too weird now, right?"

I looked up at her. "I think you can be a real asshole sometimes Kayla" I said before walking out. I couldn't believe it. I had the worst taste in guys possible. Will Nieves was gay, Doug Chase was a jerk, and Liam Murphy was a dawg.

* * *

><p>The label wanted <em>Genie in a Bottle<em> as the next single. There was no way around it, Tig tried. To say that I was angry was an understatement, but like a good pop princess, I kept my bitching to myself. Before the label could come up with anything else I made one thing clear: I would not be prancing around inside a bottle for the video. I told Tig that the name was cute, but there was nothing cheesier than taking the simile "genie in a bottle" so literally. The video ended up taking place on the beach (my idea), and in one scene I was dancing on a red convertible car that my love interest was sitting in (not my idea). Because this car did not belong to Tig he had begged me the entire day not to dent it. The end result of the video was actually pretty good.

"You look super cute in the video" said J. I was on J-Pop once again to premiere my video for _Genie in a Bottle_. This time, I was without Kayla. We hadn't talked too much since her tour ended.

"Thanks. I hope this video does as good as my last." I told him.

"No need to worry, you've got this on lock. Everybody loves you." he looked into my eyes. I know I was only sixteen and he was like twenty-two, but I could swear that sparks were flying. Or maybe it was just my imagination.

"Oh yeah? What about you? What do you think of me?" I flirted with him.

"Well, I already told you that I thought you were beautiful, I think your sweet, and you're funny… there's no way the fans won't love you." he complimented.

This was all so random. I guess J was kinda flirting with me last time I was on the show but I was way to hung over Liam to notice. Now, I was totally over Liam. Of course there were a couple of hurt feelings, but I wasn't about to crush on someone who was so obviously in love with Kayla. After all, i could be just hearing something that wasn't there with J. "Thanks J, you're awesome!"

He smiled. "I have to go. Maybe, we can get drinks after the show or something?" he offered before being pulled away by his assistant. I wondered if he realized how old I was. Oh well, he sure was cute.

My phone lit up with a text message. "_Just wishing you good luck! Call us later! – Henry and Katie." _The message read. I had made sure to talk to Henry frequently after the whole dance incident. I may have met some important people in the business, but finding a true friend was hard to come by. I texted back, "_ Thanks a ton. I'll try and call later! Xoxo- Wonder."_

Unlike last time I was here, the entire audience was there to see me. I saw several girls dressed in pig tails and school uniforms. It was crazy! During the show, I tried not to be too flirty with J, but I don't think I did that well. He kept winking at me randomly; it was as if he was trying to make me blush.

After the show Tig wanted to talk to me about the upcoming tour. The set list we had decided on went like this: _Genie in a Bottle, Soda Pop,_ _What a Girl Wants, From The Bottom of My Broken Heart, Crazy, The Beat Goes On, I Will Be There, Come On Over Baby, Sometimes, …Baby One More Time. _Although two of the songs "Crazy" and "Come On Over Baby" weren't going to be released on my debut album, we were still planning on promoting them for later, and they would make the show better because they were fun songs.

After talking to Tig I went back into my dressing room to find a note left for me. It read:

"_Wonder, so sorry we couldn't hang out but I was rushed out with a group of guys. I will be back in about thirty minutes if you wanna have a private after party. Just wait for me here." _Shit, I thought. There was no way I was going to get this by Tig. He expected me to ride back to the apartment with him (I had moved in with him until I go back on tour while Kayla is in L.A), plus, he wasn't going to let me stay out because I have dance rehearsals early tomorrow morning.

I got a blank piece of paper and a pen from the desk the letter was on.

"_J, Sorry I missed you. We will definitely catch up next time! Call me whenever. Xoxo- Wonder Blake." _I wrote with my number written at the bottom of the page. Who knows? Maybe J will ask me on a date. My heart fluttered at the thought. He was so hot, plus he was older!

* * *

><p>Tig confronted me at rehearsals for the tour a few days later. "I'm not accusing you of anything, but did you write a note to J the other day?" he asked me.<p>

"Um yeah... How did you know?" I admitted.

"Oh you know… just the usual way." Tig replied.

He handed me a tabloid with the words: _J and Wonder Blake's secret love affair! How will Jenny react?_ written across the top. Underneath it said _"Wonder is a naughty girl on the cover of Rolling Stones!"_ I had recently done a cover of Rolling Stone's magazine where I was sitting on a bed in my bra holding a phone to my ear. I had come up with it, I thought at the time it was kinda cute and casual sexy, but everyone else seemed to think it was way too sexual for a sixteen year old. The cover was all over the place.

"Did something go on between you two?" Tig asked me.

"No. I mean, I flirted with him a little bit. But we are just friends" I explained. It was true. I had a crush, but nothing had really happened. J was just a little flirty back.

"Okay, that's fine. But do you see how fast rumors get started?" Tig asked me before answering a call.

"I meant to ask you about that!" said Jorge, one of my back-up dancers. "It's been all over the tabs!" Jorge had cinnamon colored skin and chocolate eyes. I knew he was some type of Hispanic but I wasn't sure about the specifics. He was very good-looking.

"That's so strange!" I said referring to my picture on the cover of the magazine. "Who is Jenny anyways?"

"Jennifer Love Hewitt? She's J's fiancée." He said.

"Seriously?" I asked. I had no idea that was the "Jenny" the magazine was talking about. She was a famous movie star! "I didn't know J was engaged!" I exclaimed. Well, I guess he wasn't flirting with me.

"It's been all over the news! Wouldn't an A list star like you know that?" he joked. Was I an A-list star? Wow.

"You would think!" I laughed. "So are you ready for the tour?" I asked him. The tour was set to start in only one week. It wasn't going to have as many theatrics as Kayla's tour, but it was going to be good. The only prop was a staircase in the middle of the stage that we dance on and use to enter and exit. In every song I sang live, and danced my ass off. It was a good thing that the dancers were the same ones I toured with on Kayla's tour, so we already worked well together.

"I'm so excited!" he smiled. "You know, I've never been to Japan!" In the tour, we were going to Japan to do a few shows, although it was mostly a North America tour. "I'm really glad I get to spend more time with you and the dancers"

"Me too. It's hard to find a group that gets along. It's amazing how well this worked out." I replied.

"Are you going to miss your family?"

"Yes, a lot actually. What about you?" I thought of my Charlie and my mom and dad. What upset me most was that Zoë was growing up and I wouldn't even get to see it.

"I don't have a family." He told me.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." I said after a moment of silence.

"It's ok. I only ever had a mother, and she passed away." He looked sad. "She was a great woman."

"I understand. My older sister Lucky died in a car accident almost three years ago." I confided. "It was devastating."

Jorge was about to say something when Tig walked up. "Fuck" he spat.

Uh oh. "What's wrong Tig?" I asked him. Jorge told me he would catch up with me later.

"Oh just ignore him." said Felicia as she walked up. Felicia had been hired as my assistant for my new tour. I loved her. She was about thirty years old with worry lines, a sweet smile, and a southern accent. She was as sweet as anybody I'd ever met. "He's in a bad mood."

"What happened?" I asked, knowing that she knew. Felicia had a way of knowing everything.

"Well, the rapper P Diddy has just announced that his album will be dropping the same day as yours." She explained.

"So?" I asked, not quite understanding why it mattered.

"Tig is upset because he thinks that his album will chart as number one, making "Genie in a bottle" lower than it would have been. It's too late to reschedule when "Genie" is released."

"Oh," I said. I was bummed, but I honestly didn't expect for my album to debut at number one anyways. Kayla had plenty of top ten CD's but she still hadn't had a number one.

"So what do you think of this?" she asked me while handing me a poster of my picture and the words "The Baby One More Time Tour" across the top. "Do you think this will be good as the promotional poster?"

"Yes, it's great!" I said.

She smiled. "I made it myself. So, I spoke to your friend Karl today." She was referring to Kayla's former body guard. Even though Tig thought it was a bad idea, Kayla had decided to fire Karl anyways. Feeling bad, I asked Tig to invite him as my security. Plus, I actually really did like Karl (even if his son was an ass). "He said he would be happy to join the tour!"

"Really, that's great!" I replied. I had been super stressed over this tour, but I was thankful that everything had been going well.

* * *

><p>"Japan, here we come!" said Jorge. It was the second week of the tour and we were at the airport waiting for our flight.<p>

"Girl, I am so exited!" Trina said to me. It had been a surprise by Tig, but he got Destiny's Child as my opening act. Trina and I had gotten so close over the last few weeks.

"Well your excitement is going to have to wait" Steve said. "We missed our flight."

"Shit." I said. "Are we going to make it in time for the show tonight?" I said. I couldn't imagine that I had fans in Japan, but the thought of letting them down made me extremely unhappy.

"It should be fine." Tig said as he walked up to Steve. Steve Kurtz was my second manager next to Tig. Apparently, I had way too much going on for one person to manage. I didn't know him all that well, but Steve seemed to be a nice guy.

* * *

><p>Tig was right. I made it into Japan just in time for my show. I was surprised how well the audience sang along with my music, considering all my lyrics were in English. Tig told me that it was okay to talk to them in English because a lot of them already spoke it anyways.<p>

"Today is the day." Trina said backstage after the show. "Today is the day when we know where Wonder's album places on the Billboards."

Tig smirked. He obviously already checked even though we agreed not to look until after the show. "Would you guys just tell me already?" I yelled. I was extremely inpatient.

"Wonder, I would like you to know that you made history today." Tig said. I crinkled my eyebrow. "You are the first female artist to ever have a song and an album debut at number one on the charts at the same time!" he hugged me.

"Can you believe it?" Trina exclaimed. "Genie in a Bottle the song went to number one, and Genie in a Bottle the album did too!"

"Congratulations!" Jorge hugged me.

"We beat P Diddy!" Tig said. "Wonder, you fucking beat P diddy."

"Whoa." I said. I couldn't believe it. It didn't seem possible. "What now?" I asked.

"Now?" Steve said. "Now you call everyone you know and invite them to your show in Cape Cod!"

* * *

><p>I did what Steve told me to do. I invited my family, Katie, and Henry to my show. "Mommy!" I said when I saw my mom, not caring that I sounded like a ten year old. "Mommy, I missed you so much!" I gave her a hug.<p>

"There's my little girl!" my dad said when he came to hug me. "Your test scores came in!"

"How did I do?" I asked my dad.

"You got your GED!" I was relieved. Not because I really wanted it, but because I made my dad proud. "My little girl is getting so grown up!"

In my dressing room my mom came in to talk to me. "Do you have a boyfriend you want to tell me about?" she said.

"Mom, I am not seeing J. it's just a rumor." I rolled my eyes. People believed everything they read.

"No, I didn't mean that. I meant are you dating that Jorge boy?" she looked at me. "You can tell me. I think he's very sweet."

"No… why?" I was really confused.

"It's just that he really, really likes you." she explained.

"How can you tell." Half of me thought she was crazy, and the other half kind of hoped she was right. He was so cute and sweet.

"Oh you know, he just has that look on his face when he sees you."

"Really?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, but let me warn you. Those Hispanics men are very… passionate. I dated a Puerto Rican when I was your age, not to mention your father." Although my father had generally pale skin, he was half Puerto Rican and half Cuban. His family didn't raise him with Hispanic traditions, but I would love to learn more about my origins one day.

"What do you mean?" I asked her.

"Just don't let yourself fall for any boy to fast. It's dangerous in so many ways."

"Mom, I'm not the type. I'm not going to fall head over heels over any boy." I told her feeling a bit guilty. I had fallen for Liam way to easily; I wasn't going to do that again.

"Alright, I believe you. I was very young when I fell in love with your father. Even though we didn't have kids right away, it's still not a good idea to get so involved so quickly. We are lucky everything turned out right now, but you know how things used to be in our house." My mom looked into my eyes. I shuddered, not wanting to remember such things. "Things can be a lot worse than we had it. Not as many people are as strong as your father and I were."

"Okay mom, I will be careful." I promised her.

After the show, I was sitting backstage waiting for my invited guests of friends. And by that I mean Katie and Henry. Although they were the only people from high school that I wished to ever see again, a great amount of students had showed up at my concert. Wow, I guess I was finally popular.

Even though I hadn't told them to come alone, I was surprised when

Henry and Katie both showed up with someone else on their arms. "Hey!"

I said when they walked in the room.

"Hey Wonder!" Katie replied. "I would like you to meet my boyfriend

Greg." I had remembered Greg from school. He was failing my science class and was a complete asshole.

"Hey Greg," I said shaking his hand.

I looked at Henry. "Hey! You already know Kara right?" he asked me. Of course I knew Kara. She was the reason I had to go as Henry's date at the dance because she had gotten sick.

"Of course!" I said. "Are you guys dating now?" Henry had said that he didn't like her that much before, but it sure didn't look that way.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" Kara answered. Well, i thought. Kara was pretty, and even worse, she was nice. I wasn't sure why, but for some reason it bugged me that they were dating.

"Congratulations!" Katie said after we caught up on all the news in her and Henry's life (not much other than their new relationships). "I can't believe how famous you've gotten so fast. It's ridiculous! Three months ago almost no one knew who you were and now I see your face everywhere I go!" she went on.

It was crazy. Being behind the scenes, I didn't notice how out of control it was getting. It wasn't until I saw the sudden attention Trina was getting recently ever since Destiny's Child released there hit single "Say My Name" that I noticed just how fast this stuff happens. Tig told me I was a household name- already.

"Thanks," I told her. "This is what I've been dreaming about, after all."

* * *

><p>"I won again!" I yelled after winning my third game of ping-pong in a row. Ping-pong was something I had gotten into on the set of b-kids.<p>

On tour Trina and I had decided to bring a portable ping-pong table but it ended up that I played more with Jorge than Trina because she was always busy doing rehearsals or publicity work with Destiny's child.

"I let you win!" Jorge replied.

"Oh yeah, wanna play for real then?" throughout the years, I had gotten really good.

"Fine, I have to admit, you beat my ass in ping-pong!" he said. "Were you always this good?"

"Definitely not, everyone used to play on the set of b-kids, but Kayla and I were the ones who really sucked." I remembered that Freddy

Porter was always the best. He was the person who really taught me what to do.

"I want you to know that even though I suck at this, I'm really glad you spend your time with me." he said.

I blushed. This wasn't the first time Jorge had thrown really nice comments at me out of nowhere. He was sweeter than any guy had ever been to me.

"I would like to know if maybe you would like to have dinner sometime?" he asked me.

"Like a date?" I wondered. I couldn't say that i was surprised, we had been flirting since the tour started.

He laughed. "Yes Wonder, I would really like to date you."

I smiled. "Well in that case, I would like to date you too."


	7. Sometimes

**Hey guys! In this chapter you see what happens in Wonder's new relationship with Jorge. but what happens when Liam comes for a visit? and Wonder finds out some deep dark secrets about her dead sister Lucky and pop superstar Kayla. Maybe Wonder will even come out with the secret her family has been hiding this entire time! Please review (:**

* * *

><p><strong>F<strong>or our first date, Jorge had ended up taking me to a really nice restaurant for dinner and thankfully, I was hardly recognized by any fans. Jorge was extremely romantic and came off strong from the beginning. He brought me flowers before the show and bought me chocolates for no reason at all. Tig advised us not to publicize our relationship because it would have a negative influence over us.

I didn't mean to seem so easy, but with Jorge and me spending some much time together on the road, it didn't take us very long to get intimate. We had sex after three weeks of dating and I have to admit, I was surprised we made it that long. Sex with Jorge was very different than sex with Liam. Even though they were both eighteen, Jorge seemed a lot more experienced and he didn't rush.

The best part was that Jorge actually liked me- a lot. He was truly someone I could talk to about anything. He listened to me like no one else. He shared so much with me.

* * *

><p>It was a random day in august when Liam decided to visit his dad on tour. We had said hello to each other in front of everyone when he first came in as a formality, but we both knew that we had to talk privately.<p>

"Hey" I said when he entered my tour bus.

"This is a nice bus you have" he told me. "Your show was great."

I looked at him, wondering why he was bothering with small talk. "You can sit down." I told him, playing along.

"So I hear you have a boyfriend." he said as he sat down on the couch across from me.

"Well it's not like you were going to ask me"

He sighed. "My dad keeps telling me how much of a great girl you are.

How I shouldn't blow it with you."

I narrowed my eyes. "Is that why your here Liam?" I asked him.

"Because your dad told you?"

"no." he replied. "That's not why I'm here. I wanted to apologize if I made you upset."

"Well thanks." I said half heartedly.

"I didn't mean to be an asshole; I was just so caught up in Kayla. I didn't treat you the way you should have been."

I softened up, but only a little. "Its fine, Liam. I'm over it.

Really." and I was, for the most part. I no longer had feelings for him, not since Jorge. "So what about Kayla? Have you spoken to her?"

He looked at me strangely. "No, ever since she fired my dad I think she's made it pretty clear she no longer wants to speak to me." he looked pissed off. "Thank you, by the way, for hiring my dad and all."

"Thank you? It's me who should be thanking him. He's great," I told him. "I'm not really sure what Kayla's deal is. I haven't really spoken to her since her tour ended."

"Well I know why she doesn't like me; I just don't understand her attitude about it. I mean maybe I was out of line by flirting with her but... still."

"Why would you flirting with her be out of line? I know you may not be the kind of guy she is usually interested in but it doesn't mean you're not a nice guy."

Liam looked surprised, and then he laughed at me. "Wonder, Kayla doesn't have a type of guy. At all."

I was silent, processing what he had said. "Are you implying that she's gay? Uh, uh. No way!"

"Oh my god! Are you serious? Have you seen her and Jules? Her and Lucky? Wonder, come on. It's no secret."

"How do you know?" I asked him. It made sense in a way. Kayla was always locked up in her tour bus with Jules, and then there was the way everyone close to her laughed whenever an interviewer or fan asked if she had a boyfriend. "And what do you mean by 'her and Lucky'?"

"Shit, Wonder. I don't want to be the one to tell you this."

I glared at him. "You brought it up. Tell me!"

"Kayla and Lucky were more than just friends. Kayla told me a while back that they were intimate." he said careful not to make eye contact.

"What the fuck? No," I said not believing a word. "I can see it in

Kayla, but you misheard her. It wasn't Lucky. She must have been talking about someone else."

He sighed. "Maybe," he said sounding doubtful.

* * *

><p>"Wonder, we are going to the ice cream shop. Do you guys wanna come?"<p>

Kelly asked Trina and I. Kelly was a member in Destiny's Child.

"I don't want to." Trina said. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Hey Trina," I said once we were alone. "I read on a website that

Kayla was a lesbian. You don't think that can be true, do you?" even though I thought it was more than just a rumor, I decided to play it cool.

"You know that you can't believe everything you read. There has to be some reason you are asking me about this particular thing." she replied, seeing right through me.

"Well, she just seems to be kind of cozy with her assistant sometimes.

Maybe I'm just over analyzing."

Trina shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised. It's not the first time she's been cozy with a girl"

I held my breath. "I need to ask you something and I want you to tell me the truth. Don't bother to spare my feelings." She looked at me as if she already knew what I was going to ask. "Were Lucky and Kayla more than just friends?"

She sighed. "Yes. They were." she told me. "Who told you?"

"Liam." I had already told Trina about everything that had happened between Liam and me.

I felt my eyes tear up. I was upset. Not because Lucky was a lesbian, but because she never told me. We were so close.

"Why wouldn't she tell me something like that? I thought I knew her better, but that is a huge part of her life. How did I not know? God, even Liam knew and he never even met her!"

"Wonder no! She was going to tell you eventually. The reason she didn't sooner wasn't because she didn't trust you. She just needed time. They didn't even tell me."

"How do you know?"

"One day when we were all hanging out I walked in on them making out.

It kind of freaked me out, but I got over it eventually." she told me.

"I was just afraid that Trinity, our girl group, wasn't going to work out. I felt like a third wheel and Kayla and I never really got along well anyways."

"I would have accepted her. She was my sister and my best friend.

Nothing could have changed that."

"I understand. Kayla and I may not be on speaking terms but she will always be one of my best friends. She can be a real bitch, but did you know she still sends me and my mom both presents on our birthdays? She has a funny way of showing it, but she is a really caring person."

I laughed. "Yes she has a funny way of showing it."

* * *

><p>"What's wrong?" Jorge asked me when he walked into my trailer.<p>

I had been crying after all the new discoveries about Lucky. I wasn't mad at her, but my stomach was still shaken about the whole thing. "I'm fine." I said knowing I couldn't fool him.

"Wonder, you can tell me anything."

I sighed. "Apparently, my sister was a lesbian. I know it's a tough thing to share, but I'm upset she never told me." I quickly tried to dry my tears knowing how selfish I was sounded.

He was silent for a moment. "I'm not sure what to say because I've never met Lucky and I've never had a gay family member, but I'm sure she didn't mean to hurt you." he said while rubbing my back.

"I know, I know. Lucky was the one who had to go through this practically by herself and I'm just upset just because I didn't know as much as I thought as I did. I just feel like my time was cut short." my voice was shaky. "If she was still here I would know all these things about her. We would have forever to tell each other everything."

Jorge kissed me. "I'm sorry about your loss. When my mom died it practically killed me. She was my only close family."

I suddenly felt extremely grateful for my mom. So caught up in my sorrow, I almost forgot about what I have. "How did she die?"

"Breast cancer, it was horrible."

"Jorge, I'm sorry I asked. That's so sad."

"It's okay. You told me about Lucky. I'm just grateful we are so trusting in one another and we don't keep secrets.

Hearing Jorge say that made me feel extremely guilty. I was keeping a huge secret from him. My eyes welled up. "Lucky's death isn't the only bad thing about my family."

"Every family has problems. What's wrong?" he asked.

"I don't know if I can tell you. I've never told anyone outside my family this." I said. I wanted to tell Jorge, but I wasn't sure how he would react. I wasn't sure how I would react either.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Just know that I'll always be here, no matter what."

I took a deep breath. He was too nice, it didn't seem possible. "Just promise you won't jump to conclusions. Please just take my word for it."

"Of course." He said sincerely.

"When I was about six years old my dad had developed a hobby for drinking. He was an alcoholic, and he always came home drunk from work. He was very… violent." I admitted. I turned away from Jorge, not wanting him to see my tears.

"Wonder, what happened?" he asked.

"He hit my mom… more than once; a couple of times, actually. One time when telling me to go to my room he threw me against the stairs. I don't think he meant to do it, because after he apologized a bunch of times."

"Did somebody call the cops?"

"No, but my mom did leave him. We moved to grandma's house for a while, but then my parents got back together. He was only like that when he was drunk, like he was a whole other person."

"Does he drink anymore?" Jorge asked me.

"Since the day my mom took him back, I have never seen him drink. I was scared when Lucky died that maybe it would set him off, but it didn't. It scares me, the way he acted. I had nightmares about it when I was a kid." I explained to him. "But the man in my nightmares isn't really my dad, he just looks like him. I'm not afraid of my dad. I love my dad." I sobbed.

Jorge looked at me understandingly. I don't think he really understood what I was saying, but I could tell he was trying.

"My dad tries to apologize but I don't like to talk about it, so we don't. We don't bring it up much in my family, except for my mom. She's not angry anymore, she is just glad my dad got over it."

"I think that's a really good thing." Jorge replied. "It's one thing to walk away from a bad relationship, but if he has changed for this long, I think he truly means it. He must really love you."

I smiled. "I know he does. It's just weird trying to block out the past, you know?"

"You need to be happy. Why don't we get ice cream?" he offered.

Unbelievably, I smiled. "That sounds amazing."

* * *

><p>For the video of my third single "Sometimes" I called back the man that helped make my first video a hit- Nigel Dick. He was a great director, although his name doesn't lie. He could be a major dick, pushing me to work faster than possible and not allowing enough breaks; but one thing I did like about Nigel is that he always listened to me, and there is nothing I like better than control. Now that my school-theme video was obviously a success, he asked me what I wanted to do for the video of "Sometimes" before coming up with any of his own ideas.<p>

"I want it to be on a beach." I told him.

"I'm not sure, because I didn't direct your last video, but wasn't "Genie in a Bottle" on the beach?" he answered skeptically. He was right, "Genie in a Bottle" was shot at the beach, but it was at night with a bonfire while I rolled around in the sand. This was going to be different.

"Yeah, but its summer! The song comes out this August and there is nothing better to do in the summer but go to the beach! Kids my age will love it" I persuaded.

"I would normally say no way, but I trust you. You _are_ the teenager after all."

The video ended up being shot in Malibu, not far from where we shot "Genie". The video was in complete daylight, and instead of me dancing on cars, we did a lot of beauty shots. I put on a dress and posed at a picnic, wore a big sweatshirt on the beach, looked at my love interest from the pier, watched him from a beach house, and finally a dance number on the boardwalk.

Everything went well, until I sprained my ankle during the dance scene. One of the wooden logs on the boardwalk was loose and let out when I stepped on it. My mom, who came down to see the set, was terrified. Tig had to calm her down for twenty minutes while Steve cussed out "Dick". I was okay though. It's amazing what a doctor with a cast could do. In two days I was able to finish the rest of the video and all was good.

Only minutes after finishing the final scene of the video, I got a phone call from someone much unexpected.

"Wonder!" Kayla yelled when I picked up the phone.

"Kayla!" I replied. I was still a little pissed at her for being such a bitch, but I really did miss her.

"I meant to call you sooner but I've been so busy! Did you see me at the "Teen Choice Awards"? I tried to catch you backstage but you left so early!" she whined.

The Teen Choice Awards was a brand new award show put on by ABC Family where teenagers vote online for their favorite singers, movie stars, etc. Apparently Celine Dion was going to be the opening singer, but they opted for me since I was a teen and it was a teen show. I performed "…Baby One More Time" and later performed "Genie in a Bottle".

"Sorry!" I said. "I had to leave right after because I started to shoot a video the next day but then there was an accident-"

"-Yeah yeah, excuses excuses." She cut me off. "So what was up with the white T-Shirt thing? Was that planned?"

I blushed. "Um no, not really." I, being a newbie to live performances on television, didn't realize what a mistake it was to wear a white half top without a bra. Inside my dressing room it looked fine, but once I was outside it was just so _cold._

"Seriously Wonder, you sure know how to start controversy. I mean, the shirt was completely see-through. Little boys watching must have gotten their first boner then and there!" she laughed.

I blushed even harder. "Alright, well for MTV's Video Music Awards I'll try not to do that again."

"You're playing the VMA's?" she asked incredulously!

"Uh yeah, why?"

"Oh nothing. I'll just have to have Tig arrange for me to play to, maybe we could do a duet or something!" she sounded sincerely excited.

"Oh, Kayla I'm sorry. I think I'm supposed to be playing with 'N Sync…" I admitted referring to the boy band Freddy Porter fronted.

"What? Why? You don't even like Freddy, and Tig told me all about your Latino boyfriend."

"He's Puerto Rican, like me. Besides, you said you wanted to stray from music. Isn't the Video Music Awards pretty much what states who are in and who are out?" I asked.

She sighed. "Whatever. Talk to you later." Then she hung up.


	8. What a Girl Wants

**Yay! Wonder gets nominated as best new artist at the Grammys! will she win? and what happens when she finally gets to meet her favorite rock star at the MTV video music awards? Enjoy and review(:**

* * *

><p>"The next single," Steve said "should be "So Emotional".<p>

I couldn't believe that I was in a room with Steve and Tig talking about a fourth single already. "Sometimes" had done well on the charts. It wasn't a number one hit, but it hit number 3, which is still pretty good.

"I don't think so." I replied. "'So Emotional' wasn't even released on the soundtrack, we are saving it for the EP coming out next year."

"She's right." Tig said.

"Okay, I get where you are coming from, but if not this then what?" Steve asked.

"I like "What a Girl Wants", it's a catchy song and it shows off my vocals."

"I'm all for it!" Tig said. That pretty much meant that the conversation was over. Steve didn't have authority over Tig.

Steve sighed. "Alright."

* * *

><p>"What a Girl Wants" became the third # 1 single for my album. By this point I felt like getting number one hits was an easy thing to do. Apparently Tig didn't think like me. "It doesn't happen!" he keeps saying. "You're exploding! Your home video DVD "Genie Gets Her Wish" is number one now also! You are more famous right now than Kayla or 'N Sync has ever been!"<p>

"Yes Tig, we heard you the last twenty times!" Trina exclaimed. "Wonder, you are amazing and gorgeous! Now can we go?"

Trina was about to take me to get my hair cut short like I had it before I recorded my album, only this time, I was getting extensions put on immediately after. Trina told me it was a lot healthier to my hair if I just kept it short, this way all the bleach will grow out quickly so it won't look nasty and dried up. "You won't believe how real the extensions look!" she told me.

* * *

><p>Trina was right. <em>My hair looks amazing<em> I thought as I stood in front of a mirror backstage at the Grammy Award Show. My light blonde hair was down with half of it pinned back. It was the award show season, so my schedule was jam packed. I hardly had any time left to let it settle that I had actually been nominated for a Grammy: "Best New Artist."

"Your mom is on the phone!" Trina told me as she handed me her cell.

"Hi mommy!" I said.

"Aw baby, I'm so sorry I couldn't be there tonight!" She told me.

"No mom, it's fine, really." I was a little upset, but I knew my mom would be watching on TV.

"Zoe is just too sick, she can't possibly travel. The town is watching the Grammy's live over at the high school. Can you believe it?" she said. I couldn't. After the way I was treated at the prom and now they were rooting for me? Wow, talk about hypocritical. "Did you memorize you acceptance speech? Let me hear it!"

"Oh no. I don't want to jinx it or anything." I admitted.

"Oh, alright. Well, I already know you are going to win but I want you to know how proud we all are. We will be watching and we love you!" I hung up the phone.

"Wonder, are you ready?" Trina asked. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was wearing a fluffy pink princess dress that I was wearing to perform "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart". The song was soon going to be released as my fifth and final single from this album. It was crazy how fast this all has gone by. Underneath the dress I was wearing a red skin tight tank top with matching pants that I would wear to perform a segment of "…Baby One More Time" with a bunch of actual robots for back-up dancers. The Grammy's was hard core- they don't mess around.

"It's a really good thing I perform before they announce the winners because if I lost I wouldn't be able to do this without throwing up." I said almost shaking.

"Don't be nervous girl! Even if you don't win you still have the best voice out of all of the other nominees, and probably one of the best at this whole show!" Trina patted my back. Her compliment didn't help my nerves, but going on stage did. The performance went amazing and I felt a lot calmer than I did before.

After going backstage and changing into a one-of-a-kind silver Versace butterfly dress that I wore on the red carpet earlier, I sat down to watch the show. The dress was very high up my thigh on my left leg but it dropped down so that on my right side it went to my mid-thigh. It had sparkly butterflies across the whole thing made out of real diamonds, and it was backless. My hair had been put completely down and laid straight to the middle of my back.

It wasn't very long until they started to show the nominees for "Best New Artist." The nominees consisted of a black R&B singer, a male rock band (one of my favorite new rock bands), a female rock star, and a young pop singer (me). _This is it _I thought_ if you don't win this now, you can't try again next year. _It was true, you were only new once. The ladies giving out the award were an elder group from a recent popular movie geared towards middle aged women.

"And the winner for 'Best New Artist' is…" I held my breath as their pause lasted about five decades. "Wonder Blake!"

My mouth was wide open, my heart stopped, I felt a kick in my stomach, and I couldn't see anything around me. _This can't be real.  
><em>

"Wonder, go!" Tig kinda pushed me up. It was then that I realized what was happening. Around me I heard the lyrics to "What a Girl Wants" being blasted. I was self conscious but I couldn't stop the shaking and I was pretty sure I was mumbling "oh my god" over and over. When a camera came to film my reaction I looked right into the camera and mouthed "mommy!"

Once I was on stage I realized they wanted me to talk. _Oh shit_, I thought, _I don't even have a speech!_ "Oh my god you guys!" I stuttered. "I seriously didn't have a speech put together what so ever because I thought, with just one album out I wouldn't make the cut-offs for the Grammy's. 'Genie in a Bottle'" I rambled. "My god, thank you so _so_ much you guys! Thank you to all the Grammy voters! Thank you to the fans! My gosh, without you guys I would not be up here! I'm shaking right now!"- insert hysterical laugh- "I can't believe it, but thank you um, to Pop Life Records, BMG, Jack Ranger, Max Martin, Bob Jameson, Pamela Murphy, uh Tig and Steve Kurtz management. Uhm, Katrina Sirdoski, my fabulous dancers who support me on the road, who I would not be able to make it without!" I looked directly at Jorge in the crowd. "Um, my mom, my dad, my god!" I pointed upwards. "And um, all of you thank you so much. Thank you!" I blew a kiss and turned to leave the best moment of my life.

* * *

><p>After the show I got phone calls from everyone I ever knew- including cousins I hardly spoke to and old teachers from my high school in Cambridge. Even though Kayla looked kinda bummed she politely tagged along to dinner at a fancy restaurant and even spoke with Trina. No way was I allowed to party and go clubbing like the famous rap and rock stars. I had a strictly good-girl image which meant no clubbing, cursing, and no blunt sexiness (unless of course, it is done in an innocent way). My schedule was strictly business.<p>

The rest of my week was as busy as ever. "You are in high demand, Wonder. You are a Grammy award winning artist now." Steve had told me. It didn't seem real. At every press conference they kept on bringing up how I was "definitely no Kayla #2" and how I made "such a big name for myself in pop culture and music history." I had broken record sales for any artist my age with my album "Genie in a Bottle". Even though my job was hard word, I didn't see it as such a huge thing. I just love what I do.

After the constant interviews, I had to get down working on my new video. "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" was a pop ballad about breaking up with a boyfriend and going separate ways. For the video I had my extensions removed and my hair colored. I dyed it brown with honey streaks for a small town look. The video concept was leaving home perhaps to go to college (or to record an album and become a pop star) and saying goodbye to our loved ones, so for once I actually didn't have to dance in the video at all. My love interest looked like a (cute) small town hick with a plaid jacket and jeans. We filmed a bunch of flashback scenes of us playing football alone at night on a field, sitting on a windmill, and sharing a kiss. I was a little nervous, because this was going to be my first kiss on camera since I was 11 with Freddy Porter on B-Kidz. Thankfully, Jorge was there and witnessed the whole thing was strictly professional.

"So what were you planning to do on your break?" Jorge asked me in between filming scenes. After wrapping up the video I was planning on taking a 2-week trip back to New York to finish up some promotional stuff before going back to the last 10 cities on the tour.

"I'm not sure, just the usual business stuff, I guess." I answered.

"My mom's older brother, he found some old stuff of hers he wants me to have." He told me.

"Really, what is it?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. He wants me to go to his house to come get it. He lives in Puerto Rico."

"Puerto Rico? Well, when are you going to go?"

"That's the thing. I wanted to go tomorrow; I want you to come with me." He said.

I stared at him. "Tomorrow. In Puerto Rico?" I repeated. "Tig and Steve will never approve of that."

"Do they need to know? Come on, this is supposed to be a break and your spending it working. I'm not going to go if you're not." He crossed his arms.

I thought about it. Tig didn't really need me there. He was just going to a bunch of meetings on the release of my extended play album, nothing I would understand anyway. He probably wouldn't even notice I was gone, I wouldn't be long. "Okay, but I can't be gone too long. You know Tig will have the FBI after you for kidnapping." I said only half-joking.

Jorge laughed. "Okay, we leave in the morning. We should probably get to the airport by five. Is that too early?"

"No, it's probably better that way. I don't wasn't anyone to see us leaving."

* * *

><p>I made it to Puerto Rico safely without anyone (especially Tig) noticing. I wrote him a note telling him where I was going and that I would probably be back by the end of the week. By the time I got off the plane I had about 500 missed phone calls, but I decided not to call him back until I was ready to go home and deal with his bitching.<p>

Puerto Rico was amazing. The first night there Jorge and I had stayed in a hotel in a tourist area but on the next day we drove out to a beach town where his uncle was staying. It turned out that the property that Jorge had inherited was an enormous mansion on the beach.

"It was my father's" Jorge's uncle Roberto stated. "It was actually supposed to be half mine and half your mothers, but I have no use for it now. I have made my home elsewhere with my wife."

Roberto had dark skin and wide brown eyes like Jorge. He was probably around 55 years old and had a bushy mustache. "Roberto, are you sure? What about your children? Wouldn't they like to live here?" Jorge asked him.

"It would make a great summer home, I agree. But I cannot separate them from my wife's sister's children. Their cousins are there best friends. We can't leave our town, it is home." He explained.

"If you say so, but remember even if I do accept this, you are welcome anytime."

"Of course," Roberto smiled.

* * *

><p>We decided to stay about four more days at Jorge's inherited mansion. I called my mother on the second day to tell her where I was. "I'm not exactly happy about this, Wonder." She said.<p>

"Why not, I mean I know you're mad that I didn't tell you before but we are fine."

She sighed. "Wonder honey, you know that I love Jorge." It was true; when coming to visit me, Jorge and my mom had bonded instantly. He was great with Zoe. Even my dad and Charlie liked him, although I think that had a little to do with Trina's verbalizing her approval. "But this isn't even about the fact that you ran away with your boyfriend, it's just that you are only sixteen!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll be seventeen next month! And it's not like I don't travel without you all the time. You even said it: I'm a working adult now."

"And that's why I'm not yelling at you or grounding you like I would any other sixteen-year-old. It's just that I worry about you honey. You are still my daughter, even if you have grown-up fast."

"I know mom, but don't worry about me. I've got it under control." I assured her.

"Okay. And just a reminder: I don't mind you and Jorge going away for a couple of days, but I would like you to keep tabs on just how fast you two are rushing into things."

"Okay mama, I love you. I'll call you soon."

"Okay, baby I love you too!" she hung up.

The next couple of days were pure fun. Jorge and I went snorkeling; surfing, dancing, and Roberto showed us some very nice places to eat. We were out on the beach behind the mansion one evening to watch the sunset.

"This place is great isn't it?" Jorge commented.

"It really is. I can't believe you've never been here." I replied.

"My mother had brought me to Puerto Rico a lot as a child, but we always stayed where Roberto lived a while from here. She never showed me her father's home." He explained.

"So what are you going to do with it?" I asked him.

"What are your plans for after this tour? Are you taking a break for a while or what?"

"No break, I have an EP already recorded and Tig and I were talking about recording an album in Spanish. Wouldn't that be awesome? Then I could come to places like this and perform in the native language." It was something I had been thinking about since I recorded a song in Spanish for my demo "Just Be Free".

"I think I'm going to stay here." He said after a moment.

"What do you mean?"

"I love dancing. I love the tour. And I love you." He said. "But this is so… peaceful. I want to live here. Would you stay with me?"

I was shocked. It was the first time Jorge had ever told me he loved me and I don't think he even noticed. "Here? For how long?"

"I don't know, a couple months, maybe longer. I'm not talking anything permanent but if we like it here… I don't know maybe it could grow into something."

"What about my career?" I asked. I couldn't possibly leave everything I worked so hard for. I loved Jorge, I knew I did, I just couldn't give up my lifelong dreams.

"It's a suggestion. You don't have to anything you don't want to do." He placed his hands on my shoulders. "But that world, it's not for me. I can't be in the business for much longer. I know you love what you do, and I would never try to take that from you. I just want you to know I'll be here when you need me, or when you want to join me."

It had finally dawned on me that I was not even seventeen yet. Hit me like a ton of bricks is more like it. "That is an amazing offer Jorge, but I can't… settle down yet. I need time to live and time to experience. I understand that you've never like this world, but I do. I need this."

He nodded his head slowly. He smiled but I could see the sadness in his eyes. "Yes, I prepared myself for this. I'm sorry it has to be this way."

I choked on my own words on their way out. "I should probably go back tomorrow then…"

"I'll be back by the end of next week. But after the tour ends I'll be moving here. I'll miss you." he hugged me.

I began to cry a little bit. "Goodbye Jorge," my stomach dropped by saying it out loud.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck?" Tig said when I entered his apartment in New York City. Technically I was supposed to be staying with him until the end of my tour, when I would arrange somewhere new to live.<p>

"Look, I know you are pissed, but I just wanted to have some fun!" I told him.

"Wonder, you dont have to hide things from me. I would have arranged you to have a break soon if you really wanted it that badly!" he sighed.

"I didn't hide it from you! I wrote you a note, remember?"

"Oh yes, I remember. Next time, tell me before hand. it would be a lot easier to cancel appointments that way. I don't think you realize how agressive people in the bussiness can be!" he lectured me.

No, I guess I didn't. Tig had handled everything for me, so I didn't really get to see the nasty part yet. I was well protected. "Tig, I am so sorry. I messed up, big tme. Jorge and I broke up and the whole thing was just... irresponsible of me."

He rubbed his temples. "I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Wonder. I'm trying to prepare you for the real world. You better get ready because Steve is going to be harder on you than me. He was extremely angry."

I cringed. "Oops..."

"Yeah, I'll try to smooth it over. And what happened with Jorge by the way? He was such a good kid."

I sighed before explaining to Tig the whole story.

* * *

><p>Tig was right. Steve was mega angry when he saw me, but rather before he could go off on me, Tig interfered. I felt bad about them getting into an argument, but they seemed to have been okay by the next morning, which hepled my guilt.<p>

Breaking up with Jorge was odd. It wasn't expected yet I wasn't surprised. What we had was what I would truly call the sincerest form of puppy dog love. We fell so hard so fast, but my mom was right, you have to move slowly. It wasn't that we didn't get along great; we were just at different times in our lives. Jorge had just been reunited with his only family and he needed to find himself. I needed to keep chasing after my dreams before they got away. The last days of the tour weren't as awkward as you would imagine. Jorge and I had gone right back to being friends and we were all a little bit sad when it was finally over. "Don't worry," Steve said. "We will be on tour again soon!" But of course, Jorge wouldn't be there.

Even when you are way too tired to get up, life goes on, and I was forced to go on with it. What better way to get a move on life than to be in L.A for the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA'S).

"You have a play date!" Trina exclaimed.

"What?" I asked as I cocked my head to one side.

"We are hooking up with Freddy and the N' Sync crew to warm up before your show tomorrow night. Freddy just phoned me."

"Why would he call you? Are you performing tomorrow too?" I asked her, getting overly excited.

"Oh no, he just didn't have your number. And I still talk to the old B-Kidz too you know! It's not just Kayla."

"Don't you think that everyone has… changed? Dean Marconi was always an asshole, but Freddy and Kayla? They are so divas now." I said.

"Look we both know how Kayla can be, but you seem to still talk to her anyways. But Freddy, he's still a good guy."

"Are you sure… Kayla told me that Dean said some disgusting stuff about him. And he was kinda all over me at Kayla's party." I shivered remembering how Kayla explained Freddy's game of taking the virginities of teen pop stars.

Trina rolled her eyes. "You would honestly believe something that _Kayla_ said _Dean _told her? Come on Wonder that practically makes it a double lie. Freddy is really nothing to worry about." She assured me before we left to meet up with them.

* * *

><p>"Well, look at Lucky's kid sister!" Freddy said when I met up with him at <em>Cool to Function<em>, a hip A-list clothing store in Los Angeles.

"Are you going to say that every time you see me?" I laughed.

"Sorry, you just look so much like her. It's kind of weird though, because you look older now than she ever did." He said softly. It was sad, I was turning 17 this month (December) and Lucky would never make it past 15.

"So how are you guys?" Trina asked breaking the silence. There were five guys in 'N Sync: JC Chasez, Freddy Porter, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick.

"Oh you know the same-old. Just got off tour." JC said. JC was the second favorite of the group chosen by fans, next to Freddy of course.

"Yeah, thank god!" Lance added.

"We've been working our asses off forever. It's great to just take a break." Freddy commented.

"Oh I know right!" I said. "I just got off tour too! I can finally sleep again."

"It's crazy what travel can do." Freddy replied as he shook his head. While doing so, I couldn't help but notice his gorgeous blond hair swinging.

"Kayla told me before I opened for her that it wasn't easy, but now I know what she means." I said.

"Oh I forgot that you opened for Kayla this spring! I watched the show live from Houston. You're set was great." He complimented.

I blushed. Lately, I've been getting a lot of compliments on how I was doing better than Kayla and it made me kinda uncomfortable. She was supposed to be my mentor. "So what are you guys doing here today? Shopping for clothes to wear to the VMA'S?" I asked. We had met up in a clothing spot for celebrities on Sunset Strip after all.

"Nah, our manager already has that stuff picked out. What about you?" He asked as we started to walk away from the group.

"Well I have the outfit for the performance, just not the red carpet yet." I admitted.

"Tsk, Tsk. A pop princess should always be prepared for the _red carpet!" _he joked.

"Yeah well I better start looking then. I'll catch up with you guys tomorrow!" I said before taking off with Trina to find an outfit. Felicia (my assistant) came not too long after 'N Sync left, with Karl (my security guard/ Liam's dad) not too far behind her. We searched high and low but I couldn't decide on what to wear.

"What are you wearing?" I asked Trina.

"Just an orange tube top and zebra pants, you know the classic pop look." She replied.

"So I shouldn't wear a dress?" I knew this was way more laid back than the Grammy's, but I couldn't tell what was appropriate and what wasn't.

"What about this?" Felicia offered as she walked over with a brown fur vest. "It isn't real fur, I checked."

"It's different… it's actually kind of cute." I replied.

"Well, try it on!" she pushed me into the dressing room. The vest stopped above my belly button and showed major side boob along with front boob. It was extremely revealing.

"Oh my god Wonder, that is so hot!" Trina whistled when I stepped out of the dressing room.

"It shows everything!" I complained.

"I know what we will do." Felicia said. She always had an answer for everything. "We will have a long sleeved see-through shirt underneath. It won't go past your belly but it will protect your boobs."

"What do you mean by see-through?" Trina asked.

"Kind of like what they use over canopy beds to protect from the mosquitoes. Almost a net, if you will. It won't be too conservative or too revealing." Felicia answered. Not to revealing if you were a pop star anyways.

"Okay that sounds cool to me." I said. "And I saw a pair of really cute leather brown pants over there that will match!"

"I have a feeling that the VMA's is going to be a great experience for you!" Felicia squealed.

* * *

><p>The VMA's was more than awesome. Everyone on the red carpet loved my outfit, even if it came out a little promiscuous. My outfit for the performance was less revealing, I wore a sliverblue midriff-bearing tank top with matching pants and my hair straight down to bottom of my back. Earlier this week I had my hair bleached back to blonde and my extensions put back in. I had to say, I was grateful to have hair long enough to brush my fingers through.

I nailed the performance. It started with my dancers sitting in desks while the teacher takes roll and realizes that I am missing. When she calls my name, I appear from the lockers and perform "…Baby One More Time". Half way through the performance I perfected a break dance before introducing 'N Sync at the end of the song.

While waiting backstage I met one of my favorite mainstream rock bands: Limp Biskit.

"Oh my god guys! Are favorite pop star is here!" Fred Durst told his entourage when entering the room. Fred Durst was the bad-ass/whiny rock-star who fronted the band Limp Biskit. "What's up sweetheart?" he asked me. He wore baggy tan shorts and a backwards hat. He was _so_ hot.

"Oh my god!" I said, not even trying to be cool. "I love your CD! I've listened to it about 400 times on tour!"

"Well, that's why I thought our music sounded so similar." He joked. Our music was probably as different as possible.

"Really though, I'm a fan." I told him.

"You must be something yourself. You beat me out for the Best New Artist Grammy, but that's okay." Limp Biskit was a nominee for the same category at the Grammy's as I was. "You probably deserve it more than us anyways." He whispered so his band mates wouldn't hear.

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Oh you know, we can rock and stuff, but you're supposed to be, like, the real deal and stuff." He replied. I knew he was trying to be nice, but I couldn't help but think that he thought differently. I was a pop star with overproduced vocals and cheesy lyrics. Of course I knew that with my voice and dance moves that I had what it took to compete with the best of them, but for a rock band like Limp Biskit, my bubble gum packaging wouldn't be that appealing.

"I'm supposed to be the real deal?" I wasn't sure how to respond.

"Yeah well, you know. Pop stars in our industry seem to come and go faster than my driving_- fast_. Are you, Wonder Blake, the real deal, or are you another fake?"

"Well I guess you're going to have to stick around a find out like the rest of them." I replied. "I don't plan on leaving anytime soon, I may change my game a little bit…"

"And what game would you ever want to play other than Bubblegum pop?" he asked me. "Do you want to be a rock and roll girl?"

I laughed. I loved rock music, just like I had a love for every kind of music. But I doubt that I could ever pull off rock and roll. "No, maybe something less… I don't know, produced. Maybe something more mature."

He nodded his head. "Yeah, that's a good way to go. Why not be yourself now?"

"Hmm… I guess I am being myself, for now. All I know to be is a teen icon, and it makes sense. I am a teenager. I guess I just need time to grow into the kind of person I want to be, I don't want to do this forever."

"Alright well, I will definitely stick around to see what you become." He said as he was pulled away by his band. Oh well, it was probably time to go out there and watch the rest of the show anyways.

The rest of night was fun, but not too eventful. Although I was nominated for four video awards, I didn't win any. I actually wasn't that bummed out. So instead of celebrating nothing, I went back to where Freddy was staying to hang out with him, Trina, and the rest of 'N Sync.

"So, Trina tells me you have a birthday coming up the week before Christmas. What are you planning on doing?" Freddy asked me in the living room of his huge suite.

"I'm actually going to be in D.C that week; I am performing for the president at the White House for Christmas."

His eyes widened. "Ah, sounds like fun."

"I guess. What about you?"

"Just going back home." He replied.

"Where do you live?" obviously, I already knew Freddy was from Cambridge, like me, but I meant where did he live now.

"Here in L.A. My mom moved up recently too so it's very convenient for the holidays."

"If you live here then why do you have a suite?" I asked him.

"That's a good question. I asked too earlier and then I said, 'why the hell not?" He answered. "You need to loosen up a little bit Wonder. You're starting to be a mega control freak."

"What, I _so_ am not!" I pushed him.

He put up his hands. "Okay okay, I believe you. You always were pretty chill on B-Kids."

"Ha. And you _so _weren't! You had to control everything." I joked.

"What, no way, I am the chill-est guy alive!" he argued.

"Okay sure, Mr. We-Should-Practice-Our-Kiss-Before-We-Do-It-On-TV!" I spat.

That one really had him laughing. "You wanted to! I only did it for you!"

"When did I say I wanted to?" I asked him, now I was laughing.

"You didn't have to; I saw it in your eyes." He poked me. "Admit it, I was a good kisser!"

"Freddy, I was eleven. I don't remember stuff like that!"

"I was twelve going on thirteen and I remember it perfectly." He contradicted me.

"Oh yeah, perfectly huh?"

"What can I say, you weren't bad yourself. You left an impression." He said seriously.

I smiled. "Ha ha, now I see why all the girls at school swoon over you. You are _so _unrealistically charming."


	9. You Drive Me Crazy

It was early January, just two weeks after my 17th birthday when I was back in New York City in the studio. I was remixing the last bit of my EP album before it would be put out for good.

"What exactly, were you planning on changing today?" Max Martin asked me once we got in the studio.

"The song "Crazy", I want it to be more pop sounding you know? I love the guitar parts but it's going to be hard to make a video for, and maybe we can re-record some of the lyrics to a faster tempo… I want something with more _punch_." The video for "Crazy" was going to start filming in only three days and I still had to learn the new choreography. If I wanted this to work out, Max and I had to work fast.

I had spent the last three days re-writing and re-recording the lyrics for two other songs coming out on my EP called "Born To Make You Happy" and "Come On Over (All I Want is You). The first cut of "Born to Make You Happy" was way too sexual for my fan base, and "Come On Over (All I Want is You)" (originally called 'Come On Over Baby' had been changed to have a funkier sound and a breakdown in the middle along with stronger vocals.

"Alright, I can definitely make that happen." Max smiled. "So I was thinking there are already so many songs called "Crazy". Don't you think it's kind of unoriginal?" he asked me.

"I guess, but you named the song, not me." I answered.

"Well since the chorus goes '_you drive me crazy. I just can't sleep. I'm so excited, I'm in too deep. Oh, crazy, but it feels alright. Baby thinking of you keeps me up all night.'_ That maybe we can rename this new version of the song '(You Drive Me) Crazy' what do you think?"

"Yeah, that's a good I idea. And when referring to the old version we will just call that one "Crazy"."

The remixed version of the song came out perfect for my video: overproduced with echoes and dance beats. "Thank you so much, Max. I will definitely call you when I start working on something new." I promised.

"Good luck on your video!" He told me.

* * *

><p>Straight after recording I hopped onto a plane to LA to start rehearsing for my video. To my surprise, MTV had set up cameras in my dance studio.<p>

"It's a new show called "Making the Video" Tig said when I asked him about the cameras. "MTV pretty much follows you around and records the whole video making process and then edits it into a 30 minute TV show for the fans. You're only going to be the second episode to air!"

"Oh, that's cool I guess." On the set of my video "Sometimes" I had cameras filming me also, only that was for my own DVD I released, not a TV show.

"The auditions were crazy!" said Courtney Miller (a guy) who was my casting assistant for dancers in my video. He was tall and black with the most muscular legs I had ever seen. "Almost 200 people showed up, and it wasn't an open casting call!"

"Did you get anybody good?" I asked him, wishing I could have been there.

"Oh yeah, they are awesome! Nigel and I both agree."

Of course, I brought Nigel back despite the accident that happened on the set of "Sometimes" when I broke my knee. Even though Tig thought it was a bad idea, Steve made the call anyways because I asked him too. It's not like it was Nigel's fault. And sometimes being aggressive can be a good thing, I had to be done with this video and on a plane to Miami by 9:00 PM on the final day of shooting or else I was going to miss an appointment I had with a producer who was going to help me record in Spanish. Now that the tour was over, it was time to start working on new projects.

"So what's the deal with this video" Andre, one of my closest friends from the tour asked me. "What's the theme this time?" He was black too, but a lot leaner than Courtney. I was pretty sure Andre was gay, although I never asked.

"Well, we are going to be in a teen diner/club and the girls and I are going to be, like, dorky waitresses. But once our shift is over, we are going to change into really cute clothes and dance with everybody else." I told him, visualizing it in my head. "And Melissa Joan Hart is going to be in the video too with her costar because my song is going to be the lead single off her new movie's soundtrack "Next To You."

"Melissa Joan Hart, damn I love her! Do you ever watch that show 'Sabrina, the teenage witch', it's awesome." He freaked.

"Yeah I love that show!" I said.

"Guys, everyone get in line up!" Courtney asked us. Once everyone was in dance formation, he began to talk. "So I was talking to Nigel about the set-up of the dance floor for the video and it turns out that the camera can only shoot us from one angle because the other side of the set behind us isn't that interesting. We are going to have to change the choreography a little bit." There were a bunch of moans from the dancers.

"When does this Dick guy not have something to change?" Andre whispered to me.

"He is very good at making the video perfect, even if he is a pain." I defended.

"So here's what we are going to do." Courtney continued. "When we make that 180 degree turn in the second verse, we are going to change it into a whole 360 degrees so we don't have to face the back. So pretty much, we will just be kind of… backwards. We are just changing the direction in which you will be facing. Got it?" he asked us.

The change of the choreography really stressed me out, but I kept dancing for the next four hours of the rehearsal before going to West Hollywood to get fitted for the costumes.

"We have all of these in your size" said the costume designer. "The waitress outfit will look so cute!" she said while holding it up for me.

"In the video, it will start off with me wearing this and then I am going to change into something else to dance. In the scene in between I kinda want to hold up a lot of different clothes in the dressing room while deciding what to wear. You know, like just holding it up." I explained to her.

"Okay, yeah I got you. So you can take all of this and kinda just show the skirt to the camera because it's so cute, before putting on what you are actually going to wear."

"Exactly! And for the dance scene what do you think about this?" I asked her pulling a pair black pants and a green metallic half tank top from the rack. "Green is kind of the color theme for the video; it's going to be in the background and stuff."

"Yes that's perfect because I think the metallic will make it really pop. It's perfect for a teen dance club." She told me.

I was so excited because I could feel things changing. The videos for my last album had been so girl-next-door: at school, at the beach, at a random warehouse (for What a Girl Wants). This was the first time I had a completely made up set, and it definitely had a dance vibe too it.

* * *

><p>"Wow!" Mellissa Joan Hart said when I met her on set. "This is huge!"<p>

"Yeah, this is probably going to be the biggest video I've had so far, as far as production goes." I told her.

"Well that's great! Everyone is expecting this next album of yours to be big!"

"It was actually only supposed to an EP, but we are still planning to do a whole tour and single count for it and stuff."

"Yeah, the producers of my new movie "Next To You" are thinking of just renaming the movie "Drive Me Crazy" for promotion. Isn't that _crazy?"_ she laughed.

"That's cool with me, as long as I'm invited to the movie premiere!" I said.

She laughed. "For sure, and you should make a cameo in my show 'Sabrina, the teenage witch' sometime!"

"Wonder, back to set!" I heard Nigel's voice call out on a blow horn.

"…screams the director from hell." Melisa joked.

I smiled. "Catch up with you later." I told her before walking over to Courtney, Wade (my tour choreographer) and Andre. "What's up guys?"

"We have another change." Courtney said pissed off.

"I can't get the shot in the way you guys are doing it." Nigel said. "It won't fit in the shot and the dynamic will just look… fucked up."

"Well what do we have to change?" I looked at Courtney.

"Nigel, I can take it from here." Courtney dismissed him. "What we got to do is just change the 8-count in the second verse." He said like it was no big deal. "So instead of doing 5-6-7-8 we would just go straight into 7 from 5. Like 5-7-8."

"You want me to skip a whole eighth of a step?" I asked incredulously. "That will throw the whole dance off."

"Not if we time it right." He replied.

"Courtney, I can deal with changing the steps in rehearsals but this is really stressing me out. We don't normally change things on set." I told him. "I would really feel much more comfortable if we just kept it the same."

He looked at me sympathetically. "I understand. But Dick says he can't get it like that. You want this to be great don't you?" he asked.

"Fine." I sighed.

After going over the moves with Courtney only two times it was time to do it on camera.

"That was good, but we can do better." Nigel Dick shouted on his blow horn after the seventh time. "Action!" he screamed. I began to dance and mouth the words to my song.

_Tell me, you're so into me_

_That I'm the only one you will see_

_Tell me, I'm not in the blue_

_That I'm not wasting my feelings on you_

_Every time I look at you_

_My heart is jumping, what can I do?_

"Cut!" he screamed. "Wonder, can't dramatize your facial expressions a little bit more. Push it to the next level." He told me.

I sighed. "Sorry, this is the first time I'm ever doing the routine without a mirror in front of me. I'm a little bit distracted." I apologized.

"It's fine. Now do it again." He yelled. _Asshole,_ I thought. "Action!"

The bad news, I still had the rest of that day and the next to hear Dick yell "Action!" over and over and over on his stupid blow horn. The good news, we got all the takes perfectly after a thousand of tries and I was able to catch my plane in time to get to Miami.

* * *

><p>Recording an album in Spanish was harder than I thought, but not too bad. Rudy Perez was the producer and writer. Thankfully once I got there he had already had a bunch of songs recorded on demo for me to pick from. Obviously since I didn't know Spanish I wasn't able to contribute to the writing, but Rudy did give me the translations to each song so I wouldn't be saying anything I felt uncomfortable with. It was a close choice between a few songs but in the end I chose songs titled:<p>

_Genio Atrapado (Genie in a Bottle _translated to Spanish)

_Falsas Esperanzas_

_El Beso de Final_

_Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti_

_Ven Conmigo/Solamente Tu (Come On Over/All I Want Is You)_

_Si No Te Hubiera Conocido_

_Contigo En La Distancia_

_Cuando No es Contigo_

_Por Siempre Tu (I Turn To You)_

_Una Mujer (What a Girl Wants)_

_Mi Reflejo (My reflection)_

"How did you do that?" I asked Rudy. "Translate my songs from English to Spanish and still have them sound good." He had translated Genie in a Bottle, Come on Over, I Turn To You, and What a Girl Wants into Spanish, and I already had the song Reflection recorded in Spanish from when I recorded it with Disney.

"Well you just got to learn to think outside the box, you know? You can't use the exact same words and make it sound good; you have to think in concepts. Pretty much re-write the song using the same melody; of course it helps to know Spanish." He replied.

I laughed. "I know a little bit, but I would like to speak fluently."

"The best way to learn is to be around others who speak it, but if you don't have that, then picking up a Spanish dictionary every once in a while could help too."

"I'll try it. These songs are just so beautiful." I told him honestly. "I don't think they would sound that good in Spanish."

"Which ones are your favorites?" he asked.

I told him which two I really liked. A song called "Contigo en la Distancia" which meant" With You in the Distance" was a strong ballad about lovers who couldn't be together, and "Falsas Esperanzas" which meant "False Expectations" was a Latin pop song about a guy who had the wrong idea about a girl. Both songs were inspiring.

I finished up my first Spanish album called "Mi Reflejo" or "My Reflection" in English. The original title was going to be "Latin Lover Girl" but I made it clear that I thought the title was ridiculous. The whole recording process took me barely 4 days to do (due to my lack of involvement). After, Tig had me back in Malibu to re-shoot my video for "Genio Atrapado". The set was exactly like the "Genie in a Bottle" set except much less eventful. The only thing I had to redo were the beach scenes because the rest of the video didn't include me singing, therefore, we could still use the original footage.

"We put out "Genio Atrapado" the same day as we release the "Crazy EP"." Tig told me at Trina's condo in Los Angeles. We had named the EP "Crazy" due to the constant airplay the song was getting. The track listing included:

_(You Drive Me) Crazy_

_Born To Make You Happy_

_I Turn To You_

_So Emotional_

_Come On Over (All I Want is You)_

_Reflection_

_Love for All Seasons_

_Somebody's Somebody_

_When You Put Your Hands on Me_

_Blessed_

_Love Will Find a Way_

_Obvious_

Despite this album being longer than my first, we still considered an EP because it was nothing different from the first album. It had the same sound and concepts, making it an extended play. I was excited for it being released, even if the songs were nothing more than cheesy pop- they were still fun. I was extremely happy to have my demo song "Obvious" on the record because it was the song that pretty much got me discovered and it really showcased my voice.

"_You drive me crazy, but it feels alright!" _Trina sang as she walked into the room. "Oh, sorry I didn't realize you were here." She said as she looked up.

"I was just leaving anyways…" Tig mentioned. "See you girls later!" he said as he slammed the door.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" I asked Trina. Since my line of work was pretty much based in LA these days and living alone with Tig was kind of weird (even if he was an awesome manager), Trina had invited me to stay at her place since she hated living alone almost as much as I did.

"Actually I was thinking of going over to Freddy's since Kelly and the girls ditched me for some hot new club. Want to come?" she offered.

"I didn't realize Freddy and you had become such good friends." I said.

"Yeah well, it's good to have a familiar face around here when the girls from_ Destiny's Child_ are busy, and it's not like I'm about to call up Kayla…" she mumbled.

"Where the hell is she anyway? I haven't seen her since the Grammy's. She didn't even bother to show at the Video Music Awards."

"I'm not sure, Tig is being all quite about the whole thing." Trina replied.

"Wait, so you and Tig have talked about this? Well what _did_ he say?" I pushed. Kayla was normally in the spotlight, it was weird not to hear about her.

"She was here in LA for a while; she was supposed to be recording an album. But apparently she said that she wasn't ready yet and just stopped showing up to the studio without calling or anything. Tig said she's somewhere just shopping and stuff…" Trina explained.

"What the hell?" I said. "I get it. Kayla needs a break, I don't blame her. It's only been a year since I put out my first single and I'm already exhausted. She's worked hard, but she has to realize that other people work hard for her too. She should leave a note or something!" I ranted. It was so typical of Kayla not to care about the feelings of others.

Trina put her hands up. "Whatever, it's not my problem." She said. "So are you coming to Freddy's or not?"

* * *

><p>Freddy's house was not what I imagined it would be like. It had no butler's at the front door, maids to maintain the house, strippers on random poles, or an amazing view of the beach or city or anything. What he did have was a hedge to maintain privacy, warm colors on the walls, and a happy mother who was cooking for him in the kitchen.<p>

"Oh my goodness, I can't believe this" Freddy's mother, Lynn, said when she saw me. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and laughing lines on her forehead.

"Mrs. Porter, it's been so long!" I said.

"How is your mother?" she asked me before giving me a huge hug. Lynne had been like a second mother to Lucky and I back on the set of B-Kidz. My mom and her mom had been best friends and were always bringing us to each other's houses while they cooked and did mom stuff together.

"She's great! She's back on Cape Cod still. Do you live here?" I asked her.

"I don't live in Freddy's house if that's what you mean, but I do have a house just about a half hour from here." She smiled. "I miss Cambridge, but I missed my son more." She said looking at Freddy.

"And I missed her home made spaghetti way too much to live without her!" Freddy laughed. It was adorable to see how much of a mama's boy Freddy was.

"Oh dear, would you like some?" she asked Trina and I. "I just made a ton!"

"I can't!" Trina replied. "Carbohydrates aren't a part of my diet."

"I'll have some!" I practically jumped. "I could care less about eating healthy." I laughed.

"Be careful Wonder. My mom may have to adopt you as her new daughter!" Freddy warned.

"Oh Freddy, Wonder already knows she is practically a part of the family." Lynne had always been this sweet, although I couldn't remember if her spaghetti had always been that good, it was amazing! I had all but forgotten about Lynne, but being in Freddy's house now made me remember that Kayla, Lucky, and Trina weren't the only people I had bonded with on B-Kidz.

I smiled. "This is like an old B-Kid reunion."

"…Only without Dean and Kayla." Trina said.

"And Lucky." Freddy added. We were all thinking it, but somehow Freddy was the bravest one to actually say it.

After a moment of silence Lynne finally spoke up. "Where are Dean and Kayla these days?" she asked Freddy. "You used to hang around them a bit."

"Dean has been shooting some movie in Canada and Kayla…" he paused. "I haven't seen Kayla since the Grammy's, and even at that, I haven't spoken to her since that video chat we all had on J-Pop that one time."

"That was almost a year ago." I said. "And you hardly even spoke to her…"

He shrugged. "I've tried calling a few times but I always get a voicemail. She's just busy I guess…" his voice trailed off.

This brought upon another awkward silence among us. "Who wants pie?" Lynne offered.

"Me!" Freddy and I both yelled.

* * *

><p>The week of February 10th was another good week in the eyes of a pop princess. The "Crazy EP" debuted at number one on the Billboard Charts and <em>Mi Reflejo<em> was at number two after being at number one the week before. _Mi Reflejo _topped the Latin album charts, and _Genio Atrapado_ topped the Latin Single Charts. On top of that, my new DVD "Live and More!" was number one on the Hot DVD List. I wasn't keeping tabs, but I was pretty sure that had to be a new world record.

"Oh my god Wonder you know I love you and hate to see you leave, but Tig is going crazy over this tour. He's driving me nuts!" Trina told me one night at her condo.

"Join the club. It's all I've been hearing about for the past two weeks." I replied while flipping through a random glamour magazine. This tour wasn't going to be much different than the last, except it was going to be way better. Instead of just one stairway in the middle of the stage, I now had two extra ones on the left and right sides. We also got extra fireworks, lights, costumes, more dancers, and we tweaked the set list. Okay, fine, it was going to be a completely new show. But I was psyched! I had chosen the set list very carefully:

_Arabian Dance Intro_

_Genie in a Bottle_

_Somebody's somebody_

_So Emotional_

_Born To Make You Happy_

_I Turn to You_

_When You Put Your Hand on Me_

_At Last (_coverby Etta James)

_(You Drive Me) Crazy_

_Love for All Seasons_

_Come On Over (All I Want is You)_

_What a Girl Wants_

…_Baby One More Time_

"I wonder how Kayla deals. I mean he's not that bad but she's so high maintenance, you know?" Trina commented.

"No clue." I replied. "I'm actually pretty excited for the "Crazy 2k tour!"

"What's with the 2k? Does it mean anything?"

"Yeah, half of the tour is going to be in the United Kingdom and half is going to be in North America. So instead of calling it the UK tour we're calling it 2K!" I laughed.

"Was that Felicia's idea?" Trina laughed along.

"Duh, but I think it's cute!"

"Felicia is adorable, you are so lucky to have her. My assistant is just some old bag!"

I smiled. "Felicia is great, like a second mother. Where would I be without her?"

"Well you better go visit your other second mother before you leave for the tour!" Trina said referring to Freddy's mom Lynne.

"That's a good idea!" I said.

* * *

><p>Catching up with Lynne was great. She taught me how to make lemon cakes and I promised her that I would have my mom call her as soon as possible. She really was a great woman, and she was so proud of her son.<p>

"Your mom really loves you" I told Freddy once his mom went back home.

He laughed. "Isn't she supposed to? I think she loves you more than she loves me."

I smiled. "Hey, if you ever want to get rid of her, you know where to find me!" I joked around.

"You think I would give you my mom? No way, not after all the mean things you've been telling the media about me!" he made a sad face.

"What are you talking about?" I said.

"Look at this…" he pulled out a random magazine from a stack on his coffee table. "It says: _I have a lot of celebrity crushes. Will Nieves is super hot, he's definitely a favorite. _And then the interviewer says: _Who else? Do you like Freddy Porter? I heard he asked you out on a date on J-Pop. _And then you say:_ Um, I'm not really that into the whole pop boy group thing. I think Fred Durst from Limp Biskit is really cute, but I don't think he would actually make the crush list."_

I laughed. "You can't believe everything you read!" I said while reading over the magazine.

"Oh, so you didn't sit there and say all those things. Even though I know for a fact that you got Tig to get Will Nieves in your first music video, and all you talked about after the VMA's was meeting Fred Durst." He said.

"Fine, maybe I said it! Are you jealous!" I taunted.

"Maybe just a little…" he admitted. I wasn't sure what it was that I felt that moment, but I had a sudden urge to kiss him. "I mean, I don't normally get dissed by girls."

"Of course not, you are way to cool of a guy. Who wouldn't want to date a mega hot 'Freddy Porter'!" I smiled.

"You don't seem to be fazed by my boy band charm." He pointed at me accusingly.

"Oh I don't? Maybe I'm just a good actress." I hinted. I couldn't believe it. I was actually starting to fall for The Freddy Porter, someone who fronted a boy band. He was the complete cliché of what I was supposed to like. But before all that, he was the guy I had known since I was only eleven-years-old.

He looked into my eyes for a moment. "I had the biggest crush on you back when I was twelve. I was too afraid to tell you though, because Dean told me you didn't like me."

I laughed. "Why tell me now?" I asked.

"Well, for one, Dean no longer scares me. And I think it's a good thing to be truthful every once in a while. Don't you agree?"

I smiled. "Okay well, truth be told, I had a crush on you too. I never told you because I thought you liked Lucky more than me. She was closer to you age anyways."

"Lucky was an older woman!" he laughed. "You were 11, I was 12, and she was 13; way out of my league, but it wasn't her that I liked anyways."

"Remember when Kayla and Dean dated on set when they were like 14? How awkward was that?" I said having a sudden flashback.

"Oh I know!" Freddy agreed. "I don't think they even liked each other- they just wanted to date for the fun of it. Besides, we all kinda had a suspicion even back then that Kayla was, you know, playing for the other team."

My eyes popped out of my head. "Yeah, poor Dean!" I said playing it cool. I didn't realize that Freddy knew about Kayla. I wondered if he knew about Lucky, but I doubted it.

"The weirdest part is how they were 'dating' again about a year ago. Another publicity stunt I guess." He said. "I don't know. I could never date anyone just to get record sales. It seems… wrong."

"I feel like once you get to that place you kinda lose your way, you know? Like, I'm not in this for the money; I'm in it for the music. I thought Kayla was too, but lately I don't even know."

He smiled. "You're definitely something different Wonder. I've never met anyone like you."

I blushed. "Different- that's what they call me." I mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

He laughed before reaching out to touch my face and kissing my lips. The kiss didn't last long, it was short and sweet. Freddy looked nervous in an adorable way when we pulled away. "I've been wanting to do that forever." He admitted.

"What took you so long?" I smiled. "And don't blame Dean!"

"I'm going to take you out on a really nice second date." He said.

"Second date…?"

"Since this one is kind of like our unofficial first. But next time we won't be at my house chilling with my mom." He promised.

I laughed. "Okay…when?"

"How's tomorrow night?" he asked.

"Oh no, I have tour rehearsals all day tomorrow and I probably won't be finished until late. How about Wednesday night? Are you free?"

"Yes, I'm on a six month break! I'm finally free to do whatever I want."

"Okay good. Because my schedule is kind of hard to work around." I explained.

"Trust me, I've noticed." He replied.


	10. Come on Over Baby

Once the tour took off, Freddy and I were practically glued to the phone when we were apart and he came to visit me as frequently as he could (which turned out be like every other city).

Getting to know Freddy again was cool because I felt like I knew more about him each time I saw him- even if I was learning small things. "I hate sour candy." He told me when he came to visit me in Delaware. I was devouring a bag of Sour Gummy Worms.

"You used to love them." I remembered him eating mouthfuls of them on B-Kidz.

"Yeah, until Trina and I got into a sour candy eating contest and I threw up all over Kayla's dad. I could never eat one again after the look on his face."

I laughed at the sight. Kayla's parents were always the over-conservative type that doesn't take crap from anybody. "Whatever, your loss."

"It really is. They used to be so good." He frowned like a little kid.

"Will you try it like this?" I asked him as I put half the worm in my mouth and handed him the other half. It was pretty much a failed attempt at the "Lady and the Tramp" scene.

"Hmm…" he said after ending the worm with a kiss. "That wasn't too bad."

"No, not at all." I said before kissing him again. Freddy was a _really_ good kisser. We made out for about two minutes before he pulled away.

"Slow down, Wonder."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Because if we don't then I can't drag this out to make sure you stay longer."

I smiled. "Freddy, I'm not going anywhere. What's wrong?"

"I want to go slow with you. I like you to much for you to end up as 'just some other girl'" he explained. "You're different."

"I promise not to be just a random girl, I really want to get to know you again Freddy," I said sincerely. I was really starting to like him.

He sighed. "Well that's a relief. You know I've been trying to ask you out ever since I saw you at Kayla's party? It's almost impossible to get your attention!"

"You tried to ask me out?" I asked.

"Wonder, I even did it on live TV! How could you not get the message?" he laughed.

"Oh, I thought that was just… I don't know. I thought J planned it for the show or something. I didn't think you were serious." At the time I was completely infatuated with Liam. The whole thing seemed so long ago.

"Can I ask you something?" it was a stupid question, my mom always told me, to ask someone if you could ask them something.

"Sure, what is it?" he said.

"Kayla told me a long time ago that you and Dean had this game where you would try and take virginities of pop stars. Is that true?"

He laughed. "Look Wonder, I may have been a bit of a player back in the day, but that was Dean's game, not mine."

"Oh," I made a sigh of relief. "How many girls have you slept with?"

"Four. And you?" he asked. It was only fair; if I got be nosy he did too.

"Two, but they were guys obviously." I told him.

"I would hope…" he laughed. "Don't want you going all Kayla on me."

"Yeah, um has Kayla ever actually dated a girl, or has she just fooled around?" I asked. I was _so_ tired of being the modest one.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she and her assistant Jules have an unspoken relationship. Other than that, I haven't met any girlfriends."

"I think Lucky was one of them…" I said. "Actually I know. Trina told me."

"What, no way!" he looked shocked. All of a sudden I felt like maybe I shouldn't be telling Lucky's secret to other people, but this was just Freddy, it's not like she would mind.

"That's what I said. But it's true. Although I haven't asked Kayla about it yet…"

"No, if Trina said it then its true, she's no liar." He stated. "But I never saw this coming. Lucky and Kayla…who knew?"

I was about to respond when Felicia walked in. "Sorry to bother you kids, but I need you for wardrobe fittings Wonder."

I looked at Freddy. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I had only been on tour for a month and already I've had to be fitted for new costumes three times. It felt like the clothes were getting bigger, but the scale said that I was getting smaller.

"I don't understand this, Felicia." I said once we were in Felicia's trailer. "I eat enough, why am I losing so much weight?"

"You eat enough, but you don't eat right. You need protein in your diet; I mean you dance for hours every day." She explained. "And on top of that, you hardly get enough sleep."

"I do too!" I said. And as if god was trying to prove me wrong, I yawned right after.

Felicia gave me stern look. "You haven't had more than five hours of sleep a night since… I don't even remember."

"Okay so this tour is harder to adjust to than the last, but that's a good thing. I get to play more shows, I'm happy." I said trying to convince myself more than her. I loved performing more than anything, but once I got off the stage I felt exhausted.

"You don't have time to do anything for yourself anymore. You are being overworked." She complained.

"I know." I agreed. "But it's just part of the job I guess. I just put out an EP and a Spanish album. Plus, Tig expects me to release a Christmas album in time for the holidays and he's not going to let me do that if he sees I can't handle it. I don't want to let him down."

She sighed. "You need to be taken care of better. I've even talked to Tig about it and he agreed."

"Oh," I replied. "Then when's my break?" I asked.

"Steve Kurtz is the one who is overworking you. He convinced Tig that now was not the time to be slacking, he almost convinced me! I don't care about what's best for the record sales, Wonder. I care about your well-being."

I smiled. Felicia was a really good person. "I'm okay Felicia. Really, you don't have to fight my case." I said even though I kind of wished somebody would. The only problem was that I cared about my career more than anybody did. It wasn't the money I liked per se, but I had been dreaming of being a huge musician since I was just a little girl. While half of me wanted to do personal music and have time to relax, the other half knew that pop music was what was in. As long as pop was what I was doing, I'm going to put my all into it.

"Fine, but I still want you to drink some protein shakes every day." She handed me a bottle. "Drink up; you don't want to hear any more rumors about an eating disorder, do you?"

Outside the door, Freddy was knocking. "Can I come in?" he said.

"Sure, it's open." Felicia called as he walked through the door.

"What do you mean, more rumors?" I asked Felicia.

"That's what they were saying on one of those Hollywood gossip shows yesterday. Don't listen to them; they obviously don't know what they are talking about." Felicia answered.

"Oh good, just what I need." I said.

"What?" Freddy asked.

"Felicia heard on TV a rumor that I have an eating disorder!" I complained.

"Just last week I read on a magazine cover all about how I secretly got a nose job over Christmas break. It's funny though, because I'm pretty sure my nose looks exactly the same…" he told me. "Anyways, don't worry. People gossip because they are bored with their own lives."

"I guess you're right." I smiled. "It's not like I want to be one of those super skinny people. The rumors only piss me off because I'm actually trying to _gain _weight."

"Don't let them faze you." Freddy said.

It was actually kind of comforting hearing Freddy tell me about the rumors he had read about himself. Kayla practically made up half of the rumors about herself, and Trina had a pretty clean rep so far. It was a relief to know that Freddy was going through the same thing as me.

* * *

><p>I looked into the camera and began to sing the words of a ballad:<p>

_When I'm lost, in the rain_

_In your eyes I know I'll find the light _

_To light my way_

_When I'm scared, losing ground_

_When my world is going crazy_

_You can turn it all around_

_And when I'm down you're there pushing me to the top_

_You're always there giving me all you got_

"Cut!" Kayla screamed cutting the music. I never thought this day would come, but Kayla was actually the director of my new music video. At first I said "no way" when she had asked me, but after about two hours of begging and pleading I gave in.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she had said. "This is so awesome! I've wanted to do direct _forever! _I promise I'll do a good job."

Obviously, I wouldn't have agreed to give Kayla such an important job without confronting Tig first. At first he seemed wary, but after talking to her he told me it should be fine. Kayla had taken a few college classes on directing after her tour ended (which would explain where she disappeared to) and she was ready to try out what she learned. I trusted Kayla, not because she was a good friend, but because I knew that behind all that make-up she was a really smart girl-she always had been. Still, Tig advised, Kayla's involvement in my video should remain anonymous to avoid unwanted criticism about her skills from the gossip columns. We both agreed.

"How the fuck am I supposed to stay anonymous when MTV is filming the making of the video for that stupid show?" Kayla asked Tig on the set. After my episode of "Making of (You Drive Me) Crazy" had such high ratings, MTV asked to come back to film the shoot of "I Turn to You", the second single off my EP.

"I'm sorry, Kayla. It wasn't my idea, Steve made the call." Tig explained, although he didn't actually argue with Steve about letting MTV come either.

"Yeah well, Steve's an idiot." Kayla hissed. She was obviously pissed off and she had already made it clear she didn't like Steve.

"It's all covered Kayla, calm down. MTV has agreed to list Joseph Kahn as the director only." Tig told her. Because this was going to be Kayla's first time directing for real, Joseph Kahn was a director who was going to direct half of the video.

It was with Joseph Kahn that I had come up with the concept. The song is a ballad about turning to the one you love in times of need and even though it could be about a lover, I always felt like the song should go to my mom. Joseph suggested that in the video we would have a teen girl come back crying to her mom after she gets in a car accident, even though she and her mom had an argument earlier that night. Then in the performance parts (which Kayla would direct) I came up with the idea that I would be singing the song in a studio, walking down a street in the rain, and on top of building in the city. Joseph would only direct the parts with a storyline.

"They better blur out my face in every scene they get me in." Kayla demanded. "I don't even want anyone to know I'm here."

Tig sighed. "Yes, your majesty." He said sarcastically as he walked away.

"He is such a pain in the ass, I swear." Kayla complained to me. I understood why it was important for her to remain anonymous, but Tig had done the best he could to meet her needs. Sometimes she could be such a drama queen.

"So when do I get to stop using the umbrella and walk in the rain? It is so hot out here and I would love to cool down!" I said. We were filming in the streets in what was supposed to look like a rain storm when in actuality we just had machines spraying water to make it look like rain.

"You don't get to stop using the umbrella! Are you crazy? That would ruin your perfectly straight golden hair!" she squealed.

"So? Not everything has to be so glamorous all the time Kayla. I wanted it to be like a messy hair scene. You know, I'll be like freaking out while shouting the song to the camera and splashing water everywhere." I explained my idea again, even though I had once before already.

"No, this scene is in slow motion. You won't be freaking out and you sure as hell won't be getting wet." She practically barked. "Roll play-back, action!"

_For a shield from the storm_

_For a friend, for a love_

_To keep me safe and warm_

_I turn to you_

_For the strength to be strong_

_For the will to carry on_

_For everything you do, for everything that's true_

_I turn to you_

I sang the sped up lyrics into the camera. I learned a new Hollywood secret today: when you want a scene to look like it's in slow motion you have to speed up the song when you film it and just slow down the whole scene in editing. So pretty much I sounded like a high-pitched chipmunk. After recording the song in English, we recorded the scene using the Spanish version of the song called "Por Siempre Tu" so we can release the video to Hispanic countries as well.

"Hey," Kayla said to me after the shoot. "I'm sorry about being so harsh on you about the wet hair thing earlier."

I was surprised she brought it up. I was pissed at the time, but I was over it now. "It's okay. It would be annoying to get my hair re-done every time we wanted to do another take anyways."

"Even though my name isn't going to be linked to the video, I still want it to be amazing. It's a shark tank out there, and even something as stupid as a bad video could make you vulnerable. I don't mean to be so over controlling." She explained.

"I understand Kayla; I'm not holding a grudge."

She smiled. "I don't get you. If it was me I would be chewing myself up right now. Why are you so…polite? You don't even act like a pop star." she said.

I laughed. "I don't know, I try to be nice to people I guess."

"Why?" she asked.

"It makes you feel good inside. You should try it!" I joked.

"Nah, I'm okay." She laughed, but I swore I saw a flicker of kindness in Kayla's eyes.

* * *

><p>The rest of the month was one of my busiest in my whole career. I had my second magazine cover for Rolling Stone and this time I wore a blue superman half shirt while pulling down my denim miniskirt to show part of my under wear (revealing I know, but it actually didn't get as much controversy as my first cover where I was laying on a bed in my bra). I released the video for my first Spanish single called "Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti". In the video I was a singer getting dressed up as a princess to shoot a music video in front of a forest backdrop. Then, on the set I sing while listening to music on break (ironic because I'm pretty much playing myself- a singer making a video). I made an appearance on Saturday Night Live, a parody show. I took my hair extensions out. I recorded my Christmas album in less than a week because Tig already had the songs picked out. And I came up with a concept for my new video "Born to Make You Happy".<p>

"So in the video, you could be a pregnant girlfriend who is upset over her boyfriend leaving her." Steve offered.

I rolled my eyes. "No, that will never work."

"It'll be a much produced set." Tig said. "It will start with Wonder sleeping peacefully in a futuristic Japanese style bed. Then it will cut to a futuristic blue room, then a stage in the sky with stars in the background, then maybe Wonder and her love interest can meet up."

My jaw dropped. I was impressed; Tig had never had an idea for my video before. "Sounds good to me, I just have one request." I told him. "Can the hot guy who plays my boyfriend and I have a pillow fight?"

"A pillow fight?" Steve asked.

"I've always wanted to do one in a video, please!" I whined.

"Whatever works for you!" Tig put his hands up as Trina barged into the room.

"What are you doing here!" I yelled. I hadn't seen Trina since the tour had started.

She embraced me in a bear hug. "I had to come see you before you started the second leg of your tour in the UK. I can't visit you there too often because Destiny's Child is touring in Canada next month!" she replied.

"Oh my god, I totally forgot you were going on tour in two weeks! I have to come see your show at least once!" I said. It was so weird to hear about Destiny's Child since I had known Trina way before they put out an album, but it seems like they were showing up everywhere more often these days. The group was getting pretty mainstream with hit songs such as "Say My Name" and "Survivor" but they were popular with a different crown than Kayla and I. Destiny's Child was an all black girl R&B group, but despite this you would still occasionally hear about Trina, Kayla, and I in the same sentence. We were all former B-Kidz after all.

"I'll definitely have my manager call Tig and arrange something but right now I have to show you something!" she practically screamed and grabbed my arm.

I followed Trina out into the stadium I would be performing inside in just 2 short hours. She plugged her _I Phone_ into a large screen that was set up for the show.

"An Eminem music video?" I asked her as I saw the face of the famous mainstream rapper pop up. Eminem was irony at its finest: a young white male dominating a generally black industry that was rap music. He was actually pretty cute. With his blonde hair, blue eyes, and ear piercing, Eminem looked as if he could have been a part of Freddy's boy group.

Eminem's looks were another example of irony because he absolutely hated boy groups and pop music.

"Just watch." Trina ordered.

In the video Eminem was at what looked like the Grammy's and he said:

_You think I give a damn about a Grammy?_

_Half of you critics couldn't even stomach me, let alone stand me._

"_But Slim, what if you win, wouldn't it be weird?" _Eminem said acting like a paparrazi.

_Why? So you guys could just lie to get me here_

_So you can sit me here next to Kayla and Dean out of anywhere?_

I shook my head. It was kind of funny how much the extras in the video actually looked like Kayla and Dean. Then I saw a girl in the row in front of them wearing a catholic school girl outfit with her hair in pig tails. She actually looked just like me…

_Shit, Wonder Blake better switch chairs_

_So I can sit next to J and Fred Durst_

_And hear them both argue over who she gave head to first_

_You little bitch, put me on blast on MTV_

I was shocked. Not only did I not ever give "head" to J or Fred Durst, but I had no idea what he meant about me putting him on blast on MTV. Back on the screen, Eminem was now making fun of me.

"_Yeah he's cute, but I think he's married to Kim. Tee-hee" _said the video version of me.

_I should download her audio on MP3_

_And show the whole world how you gave Eminem VD! Ha_

The clip changed to a scene that looked very similar to a popular 'N Sync music video.

_I hate all of you little boy and girl groups_

_All you do is annoy me_

_So I've been sent here to destroy you!_

Eminem then continued to rip off the heads of what was supposed to be the members of Destiny's Child and then he stuck his ass in "Freddy's" face. "Okay…" I laughed when the clip was over.

"Like what the fuck?" Trina said. "I don't care that he ripped my head off, but what was he talking about when he said all that stuff about you?"

I honestly couldn't answer her question. "I don't know. I have said in interviews in stuff that Fred Durst is cute and of course there was that whole rumor about me breaking up J's engagement. But I never gave them head!" I explained.

"Well obviously not, you're dating Freddy now. But when he said you 'put him on blast on MTV'? What was that?" she asked.

"I've never even talked about him before!" I laughed. "Whatever it's not a big deal." I said. Eminem was known for talking shit, but normally he has something against you when he does it. Maybe he just truly hates my music I guess…

For some reason I got this funny feeling that the guy looked way to much like the real Fred Durst. "Hey" Fred Durst said when he picked up his phone.

"Do you know anything about a new Eminem song?" I asked.

"Which one?" he asked sounding like he knew exactly what I was talking about.

"It's called the _Real Slim Shady."_ I told him.

"Yeah, why?"

"I don't know; he's being shady…" I laughed. "I heard he talks about me in the song."

"Yeah he asked me to be in the video, so you know, I did it. He definitely had some chick that looked like you on set." He admitted. "I'm not sure what the deal is though." I honestly doubted that.

"Okay thanks, talk to you later." I said as I hung up.

* * *

><p>After my show, I had a surprise guest waiting for me backstage. "You're voice is magic!" said J, my friend who hosted the video show on MTV called J-pop.<p>

"Aw, thanks!" I said as I gave him a hug. "What are you doing here?" my show was in Chicago, nowhere near his usual scene in New York City.

"Oh, I was in town to see my folks, and then I heard about your show. So I called up Kayla and invited her over here with me, I hope you don't mind." He explained.

"What, no way! You know I love to see you, so where's Kayla?" I asked.

"Speak of the devil," Kayla said as she walked up behind me. She was wearing a huge hat and sunglasses. "I was incognito, blending in with the crowd."

"How did that work for you?" J asked.

"Oh you know, only like twenty people stopped me." She responded. I was surprised. That was pretty good. If I ever went out without a disguise I would have a major problem, but even with a hat and glasses I still got stares from everyone and a crowd following.

"We are going out tonight." J stated. "The three of us and whoever else you want to invite. There are some pretty hot clubs here in Chicago."

"Oh yeah, like what?" Kayla said as she put her hands on her hips. Kayla had been to all the hottest clubs in New York and Los Angeles, but I doubted she came to Chicago often.

"They've got one that supposed to be a lot like the "Viper Room" down on Sunset Strip. We can try it out." J offered. The viper room was one of the hottest celebrity clubs in LA where almost everything went down. It was supposed to be super cool although I had never been there. Innocent school girls don't go clubbing.

"Whatever, I need to get drunk!" Kayla yelled. "Bring Freddy!"

"He's not here. 'N Sync is recording there new album right now so he won't have free time until he's done." I explained. Unfortunately, Freddy's six month break was over.

"Ugh, how boring!" Kayla replied.

J play-hit her across the back of her head. "Yeah, I was talking to my boy JC yesterday and he let me hear a little bit of what they were recording." J told us. "It was just over the phone, but it sounded like a hit!"

"That's awesome. Now, let's part-ay!" Kayla yelled. Only one second later, Tig entered the room with a stern look.

"What party are we going to?" Tig asked, obviously knowing he wasn't invited.

"Just out to the clubs, no biggie." I said. I knew Tig would let me go, but I wasn't so sure how he would react to Kayla going since she had been missing-in-action for so long, only occasionally popping up when she was looking for a good time.

"Who else is going?" He asked.

I was thinking of inviting some of my dancers. "Maybe Julie and Kara… I don't know about Trina because she said she had a headache... I'll ask them." Really I just doubted Trina would go because Kayla was there.

"That's fine." He responded as he turned to Kayla. "No funny business, got it?" he told her.

"What the fuck, I didn't even do anything yet!" she complained. "I can handle myself."

"Hey, I'm letting you go. All I ask is that you take Karl with you." he explained to us. "These aren't LA clubs, who knows what kind of people hang out around you. You need protection."

Kayla looked at me desperately. After Liam had professed his love for her, she had fired Liam's dad Karl as her bodyguard to avoid awkwardness. Personally, I thought it was a bitchy move because Karl was awesome, so I hired him as my security guard. Still, I felt like I should help Kayla out in her situation.

"Maybe that's not necessary Tig." I said. "It may be a little awkward for Karl with Kayla here anyways…"

He looked at me like I was crazy. "No, it won't be awkward for Karl because he is a mature adult who can handle cry-baby situations. Kayla could take a few notes actually." He told me while directing the question at her.

"Prick," she muttered as we left the room.

* * *

><p>I wasn't expecting the club to be much, but J had proved me wrong. It had four different rooms each with a different theme: tropical, space, high-tech, and gothic. I even saw a couple of celebrities pass by, all though they were mostly MTV reality show stars. Karl ended up coming with us but he was just business as usual. He kept a safe distance from us so he would be able to catch anyone who got too close.<p>

"Wonder, look over there!" said Julie, one of my back-up dancers. She had long brown hair, tan skin, and a huge Puerto Rican butt. I looked to where she was pointing and saw a familiar looking face.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"Um, I don't know. But he's from that movie we watched about week ago where his dad goes to space. He is so cute!" she squealed.

I pushed her, "Go dance with him!" I encouraged. She smiled and raced off to talk to him.

"So, where's Jennifer?" I asked J in attempt to be nice. I was still embarrassed by the way the tabloids accused me of trying to break up their engagement.

"We broke up. I'm probably going to release a statement to the public sometime this week." he told me.

"Oh I'm so sorry! What happened?"

"Everyone knows she was a flake!" Kayla told me. "No offense J."

He rolled his eyes. "Absolutely none taken."

"So have you guys heard? Eminem talks about me in his new song." Kayla said.

J laughed. "Yeah, have you seen the video?"

"I haven't even heard the song yet. I've just been told I was in it." Kayla replied.

"Yeah you're mentioned in a passing. He talks about me for like two lines, and talks about Wonder for almost the whole verse!" J added.

"Yeah, he said I gave head to you and Fred Durst!" I said to J. "It's going to be a J-Pop favorite; they don't call him Slim Shady for nothing." I lamented.

"Ew," Kayla replied. "Why would he say that?" As if I knew.

"He's going to be on J-Pop live this week. I'll ask him about it." J promised.

"Okay, I'll try to watch." I said as a I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Well if it isn't my old pals Kayla and Wonder," said the screeching voice of Dean Marconi. "You've grown a lot since B-Kidz Wonder, I was just thinking about when we would meet up again." He said sarcastically.

"Dean," Kayla said as she stood up to kiss him on both cheeks. "Buy us a round of drink, would you?"

J did a handshake with Dean. "Haven't seen you in a while! How's college life treating you?" J asked him. Even thought he had an amazing movie career, Dean had insisted on attending Yale because "he was actually intellectual, unlike other celebrities" so he said himself. He skipped out on the Oscar Award Show even though he won an award just so he could study for final exams. Yet, he had time to make sure every newspaper and magazine knew about it.

"Oh it's amazing. I'm doing so well." he bragged as he sipped down a fruity alcoholic drink.

"What are you doing in Chicago?" I asked him.

"I'm here visiting my old friend Conrad." He said pointing at the actor Julie was dancing with. "What are _you_ doing here _Miss Genie- in-a-Bottle?" _he relocated his finger so it pointed at me.

"Are you drunk?" Kayla asked him. "She's on tour and J and I came to visit her! Where are your manners?"

"Sorry, don't mind me but I think I'm going to go… take care of something." He slurred as he practically groped a slutty girl on the dance floor.

"I really fucking hate that guy." J said.

* * *

><p>Three days later I was sitting in my hotel room in New Jersey watching J-Pop with Trina.<p>

"So we have a phoner!" J said to the crowd after introducing Eminem. A phoner was somebody-usually a fan (or in my case it was Freddy) who calls on the show and talks to the guest.

"Her name is Melissa from Florida and she is actually a fan of J's so she's going to ask you a few questions." Eminem said.

"Alright. Alright." J yelled into the microphone.

A moment later a loud squeaky voice of what sounded like a Boston teenage girl spoke on the other end. "Hey what's going on?" she said.

"Nothing. How are you?" J replied but before he could finish she interrupted.

"Eminem I love you! I can't believe I'm talking to you right now!" she said in a voice that sounded distinctly from Boston, not Florida. J's smile deteriorated.

Eminem faked a geek snort. "Thanks...I love you too.*snort*."

"Okay J," she continued. "First of all I think you're so hot. Mmkay? So I just wanted to know, what is the craziest thing a fan has ever done to get close to you?" she asked.

"Uh, to get close to me…" he thought about it. "Well one time when I was in Cancun they had about 10 girls sleeping outside my hotel room. That's usually a problem when fans know what hotel you stay at." J replied.

"Really, that's crazy!" Melissa said.

"Yeah, but that's not even the worst." He told her. "I had a girl who hid in a bathroom when we were shooting in Big Bear, California. We were doing MTV's _Snowed In_ and I guess she heard about the wrap party at this bar so she hung out in the bathroom for I guess, four and half hours the manager said. I went in to take a leak and she popped her head out screaming!"

Eminem laughed and said, "Then they literally had to kick Wonder Blake out!" the whole audience erupted into laughter and J did a nervous smile. "It was really bad" Eminem continued.

"That's good TV right there!" J said trying to change the subject. "You don't even think before saying it and everyone's laughing!" he said to the girl on the phone, "Thanks for calling in Melissa."

"Can I give a shout-out?" the girl asked.

Eminem made a squinty face and replied, "No. Goodbye." The audience laughed again as the image of the girl on the screen above them disappeared.

"So your video for the 'Real Slim Shady' just hit number two this week. How do you feel?" J asked Eminem.

"Wait, who's got number one?" he asked.

"Destiny's Child with their video for 'Survivor' and Wonder Blake comes in at number three with 'Born to Make You Happy'"

"Pshh…" Eminem made a face. "You know, I actually like Destiny's Child, I really do. They got swag, but at the moment they are the enemy, so fuck you!" he said waving his middle finger around. Because the show was live, the editor's didn't have time to bleep out his cussing. I hoped J wouldn't get in trouble with the MTV people for this.

"Yeah, but number two is still a great achievement!" J said.

Eminem made his impression of a geek voice. "Oh my god, I'm just a little white boy named Marshall Mathers from Detroit. I can't believe this is happening to me." He laughed. "Naw, really I'm just surprised at how mainstream I've gotten. I've got to admit I feel kinda out of my zone here on J-Pop."

"Why is that?" J asked. "Your fans obviously seem to think you deserve the attention." He said while the camera showed a clip of all the fans outside the building holding posters of Eminem's face. The entire crowd had their middle fingers raised (one of Eminem's signature moves).

"Well, for one, this is a pop show hence it's called J-Pop and I'm a rapper. The little circle of _'N Stink, Wonder Flake, and Kayla Bitch-head, _it just ain't my atmosphere. You know what I am sayin'?"

"Yeah, I got you." J replied. "And in the song 'The Real Slim Shady' you kind of talk about hating girl and boy groups, don't you?"

"Yeah, am I the only one who thinks that 'N Sync stinks?" he laughed. Half of the audience cheered and the other half had their jaws dropped.

"Alright, so what I'm wondering about is the whole Wonder thing? She recently put out a statement about your song saying that what you wrote was not only 'disgusting but untrue' because you stated she quote on quote 'gave you VD' and that she sucked my dick as well as Fred Durst's. How do you respond?" J asked.

"Yeah, it probably wasn't true. So what happened is I actually think she has an incredible voice, and I respected her." Eminem said.

"So what happened?"

"Well I was watching MTV and she had her little 'What A Girl Wants' TV special and I'm like watching her special and she's giggling with her friends and whatever, and she chose my video as one of her favorites." He said. I remembered that. It was a special where I chose all my favorite mainstream music videos and I chose the song "My Name is…" by Eminem. I chose it because when it came out everyone was shocked by his controversial lyrics about murdering his girlfriend and numerous celebrities.

"And I was like that's cool that she picked my video." Eminem continued. "But I guess she heard some rumor that I was married and then she said '_Yeah, he's cute but isn't he married though? Yeah, the girl that he talks about killing on his record actually.'_ And I was sitting there thinking like '_No you didn't just say that, you little bitch!' _And she goes on to say _'girls out there, you've got to pull the plug on situations like that. Don't let a guy disrespect you.'_ and all this random shit about abusive relationships and I'm like, why would you pick me video if you're just gonna pick it apart like that? I would rather have her just say nothing about me."

"Right," J nodded.

"Like she heard a rumor, she didn't even know if it was true and she put me on blast. So I'm like fuck that, right like that's cool, whatever. But since you said some shit about me I'm going to voice some rumors I've heard about you. And I don't to mean to get you in trouble J. I understand that she's under aged and how all that crap goes with you being involved…"

"Nah, it's alright." J said.

"See this is how I feel, once Wonder turns eighteen you can forget it. I don't want her anymore. That ruins the fun." Eminem laughed.

"So what about 'N Sync and Kayla? Why do you mention them?"

"Backstreet Boys and Ricky Martin too, but that's in a different song. I just can't stand teen pop in general. Kayla is garbage. I think the whole pop world is corny, its sissy music, and it's just so watered down, man. Like, how many times can you rhyme _tearin' up my heart, breaking your heart, you drive me crazy, _it's just ridiculous. It gets on my nerves, all of these songs sound the same to me."

"Right, and I've listened to your album and some of it is really harsh. Is that done purposefully because you kinda have to separate yourself 'cause you are automatically labeled like them just because you're a blonde guy?" J asked.

"Yeah, exactly. I always get grouped up with this J-Pop crowd and I don't really like it because, you know, I'm not pop. I can't stand being grouped in that category."

"Well even if you don't like us here on J-Pop, we still love you!" J smiled while pointing at the crowd.

Eminem laughed. "To all the girls calling me 'hot': you would not find me attractive if I wasn't famous!" he yelled into the crowd. "I'm just playing, you know I love you!"

I turned off the TV. "Well, that's that." I said.

"At least you know what he was talking about with those lyrics now." Trina said.

"It's funny because I hardly remember saying those things. It wasn't supposed to be such a big deal." I said.

"I hate how he disses pop music like that. He is obviously jealous of something." Trina told me.

"You think? I understand what he means, it is corny. But he doesn't have to be so mean about it I guess. But I get it, it's all for publicity."

She shook her head. "Whatever,"


	11. Falsas Esperanzas

"Oh my god, Charles!" I shouted when I saw my brother. My mom had called me two days earlier and told me that she was bringing the family up to see me when I was in England for the first week.

"What up big sis?" he said as he gave me a hug.

"More like little sis. You tower over me now!" Charles had grown about three inches since he turned fifteen and Zoe was almost a teenager now at twelve! "Zoe, I've missed you so much!" I said as I hugged her.

"You too! I can't believe how long it's been since I've seen you. I can't believe you're in England!" she smiled.

"Crazy right?" I said.

"What's crazy is your hair? How did you do that?" My dad asked me. Since taking out my hair extensions my hair was now just above my shoulders and I dyed blue streaks into it. My mom brushed her fingers through it.

"Its part of a new image I'm trying out." I told my family. "I'm so sick of having straight, long blond hair all the time."

"Whatever you say," my mom said. "So I spoke to Lynne earlier on the phone and she says that she is coming with Freddy to London this week because he has a concert here. Isn't that great? We can all have lunch and hang out; maybe we can see the palace…"

"You can see the palace," Charles said. "Wonder probably has a bunch of promotional stuff to do,"

"Yeah I do." I smiled apologetically. "How did you know?"

"Henry next door told me that you've been e-mailing him about your psycho schedule." Charles replied.

"Yeah, I miss him! Tell him I say hi when you go home." I told Charles and Zoe.

Later that day, mom and the gang followed me to a press conference I had with the English Media. "How do you feel about Eminem's new song? Are you pissed off?" one of them asked me.

"I'm not actually sure why he has such animosity towards me. Apparently I said something on TV that made him angry, but whatever it is that I said I don't take it back." I replied. I didn't. I wanted others to understand that going through physically abusive relationships was never okay. I didn't want anyone to go through what I had to go through.

"Are you dating anyone right now?" another critic asked.

"My career is my boyfriend. It takes up all of my time." I answered. Okay, so it wasn't exactly true, but I wasn't ready for the whole world to know that Freddy and I were dating. It's kind of a private thing.

"How old is your sister?" Somebody asked. "Is she going to follow in your footsteps?" I looked over at my sister who was sitting next to me.

"Talk to them" I whispered to her.

Zoe smiled confidently and grabbed the microphone. "I'm Zoe Blake and I'm 12 years old. I love to sing and dance but I'm not going to follow my sister. I'm going to make my own career." She winked.

My jaw dropped. I couldn't believe how outspoken she was. I always thought Zoe would be a star, just because she was so outgoing and she was talented as well. "What kind of career?" the man asked.

"I'm going to be a famous actress." She told them without missing a beat.

* * *

><p>"Why did you say something about that Eminem song?" Tig asked me after the press conference.<p>

"They asked me, I just answered the question." I said.

"That wasn't bad, but you have to be careful when there are cameras on you like that." Tig told me. "They can twist your words."

"We don't need any controversies." Steve added. "You need a clean image."

"Wonder, I really don't like how this boy is saying such nasty things about you. It's horrible." My mom told me.

Then my dad said, "If you want I can get on a plane to wherever this kid is and kick his ass."

I laughed. "No, dad, that's not necessary. Whatever, he makes fun of everybody. It's okay. I don't take it personally." I replied.

"That's a good way to look at it." Tig pointed out.

Steve sighed. "You can't start taking shit from random mainstream rap punks now, because others will just follow his example later. You need to stand up for yourself."

"Didn't you just say I didn't need to start drama?" I asked. Steve was a good manager, but sometimes the things he said were a bit… retarded. It had become a sort of tradition for Tig and I to ignore what he says.

"Exactly, that's why we need to handle this in private. We should probably call up this rap boy's management and give them a piece of our minds…"

"That's not necessary for now." Tig said.

My mom didn't really appreciate witnessing the whole business part of my career. She told me it was a lot harder than I made it look. No kidding. What my mom did enjoy was seeing Lynne, Freddy's mom, again.

"They are like perfect for each other!" Lynne dished to my mom as they sat in the kitchen of the enormous suit Freddy had.

"I know right. Wonder is the princess and Freddy is the prince of pop music!" My mom responded.

Freddy and tried I not to crack up as we eavesdropped on them from the living room. "That's what all those teen magazines call us." Freddy said.

He was right. I had seen it all over the place. "I don't get how there are rumors about us dating. How could they know?" I asked.

"They are sneaky like that." He told me. "It makes sense if you think about it. Everyone in the business knows, even Dean was asking me about it the other day. I wouldn't be surprised if another celebrity tipped them off."

I didn't like it. If I was in a relationship I didn't see why it would be anybody else's business. "Yeah, oh well." I replied.

* * *

><p>My family had to leave a week after Freddy came to England because I was going back to New York to record in the studio for a week. Although they were missing home, my mom promised she would come up to see me more often.<p>

I went into the recording studios not quite knowing what was going to come out of it. "We have a number of great producers who have material already partially written for you." Tig told me. "Go in there, see if you like anything, and have fun with it. We won't be here for long so you probably won't finish much, but we will keep coming back." He explained.

In New York I was able to work with a lot of popular pop producers including Max Martin (who produced …_Baby One More Time_) and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Even Shania Twain came to the studio asking if she could help write on one of my songs, as she was friends with the producer. We came up with something called _"Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know_". The songs presented to me were even more pop than what I had recorded earlier. They had more funk and dance beat then the songs off "Genie in a Bottle" and "Crazy EP". In the studio, writing lyrics into the songs came as easily as filling in the blanks. They weren't personal, but they were catchy.

"I want to go back and record songs that I've written on my own." I told Tig once the week was over.

"What have you written? Like what style and concept?" he asked me.

I didn't know how to reply. My songs were kind of boring. They were about love and break-ups and … what else? "I'll show it to you later." I said. Note to self: write new songs.

When I came back to England Freddy was still there doing a promotional tour around the country with 'N Sync. Trina had even made an effort to fly over and hang out with me in her break. "I need you to help me." I told her. "I need to write a song but everything I write is no good."

"That's not true" she replied. "You wrote that song _Obvious _for your demo and it was good enough to even put on your EP! You have the skill; you just need to learn to use it."

"Fine, but how do I do that?" I asked her.

"What do you want to write about?" she asked me.

I sighed. "I don't know Treen, Freddy I guess? I mean how can I write something personal and put it on a record and still have a personal life?"

"It's easy. Be general, but still be honest. No one has to know who the song is for." She told me as she hopped on the piano that was in my hotel room. She made up a melody that was simple and beautiful.

I smiled_, okay now add lyrics, _I thought. "_Dear diary, today I saw a boy and I wondered if he noticed me. He took my breath away… it scares me because I've never felt this way. Should I tell him how I feel? Or would that scare him away? Diary, tell me what to do… please tell me what to say." _I sang. It was a little bit childish, I knew. But that's how I felt: like a little girl with a crush.

"See that wasn't so hard." Trina said. "Keep going." she advised. And I did until I finished the song.

* * *

><p>"So what is this place supposed to be?" Freddy asked me as he looked around the set of my new video. <em>Come On Over (All I Want Is You) <em>was my fourth and final single to be released from the _Crazy EP_.

"This is the module room." I told him while looking into the mirror. Adding to my blonde hair and blue streaks, I had put in long blonde extensions with red streaks as well. I was wearing a white halter top with sequins and skin tight white pants to match. My bared stomach was covered in rhinestones similar to those worn my Arabian dancers- I was a "genie in a bottle" after all.

"The what?" he asked.

"This video is pretty much going to be a mini-musical. It will start off in my bedroom with my friends as we are hanging out and then my bedroom walls will open to the living room where I sing and do a dance sequence. Then I will be in the yellow room wearing a plastic yellow jumpsuit and when I unzip the outfit it will cut to the green room where we do another dance sequence. Then the module room where the dancers and I all dance in our modules and then the finale is in the staircase room, where I do a rap breakdown and dance the last chorus with confetti!" I explained to him while flipping through the sketches made by the director.

This video was actually not my idea, only the image was. There wasn't much of a concept to the video other than how visual it was. There was dancing all the way through and I kind of become a player because I have three love interests. It's almost kind of a cat and mouse, flirtatious song. The song concept is simple: _Come on over here baby. You know you make me go crazy. Now baby don't be shy, you better cross the line. I'm gonna love you right, because all I want is you!" _the chorus pretty much said it all. It's kind of a combination of my other singles with pieces of "Crazy" and "What a Girl Wants" intertwined into it. Plus, we were also filming the Spanish version of the song "Ven Conmigo (Solamente Tu)".

After the "Crazy 2k" tour ended, I worked on promoting the song "Come on Over (All I Want is You)" right away. Countless performances on TV shows, festivals, and even a short 10 ten city South American Tour were a part of my schedule. After hearing that I was nominated for 4 Latin Grammy awards, Tig thought it was good idea to start showcasing my Spanish songs in Hispanic areas. On top of all this, my Christmas album was released in early October to give fans a chance to enjoy the holiday season for a longer period of time. The album was called "My Kind of Christmas".

* * *

><p>"Guess who called me today?" Tig said to me in the car on the way to a concert in Brazil.<p>

"I don't know… your ex-wife?" I guessed.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "Thank god no." he sighed. "The manager of the band Limp Bizkit called to ask if you would do a duet with Fred Durst at the MTV Video Music Awards next month."

I laughed. "For real, why would he ask that?"

"Apparently it was Fred's idea. He said he wanted to work with you." Tig responded.

Steve chimed into the conversation. "It could be controversial if you did it…" he warned.

"Well what should I do?" I asked.

"I honestly don't see any harm in it either way. If you do it I'm sure you'll get a lot of publicity, but I don't think that's particularly a bad thing. It's your call."

I smiled. Fred Durst seemed pretty cool when I met him, and Limp Bizkit was one of my favorite rock bands. "Why not take the risky way out?" I said. "Tell them I'll do it." _That'll show Eminem_, I thought.

* * *

><p>I was at the Congo Room in Los Angeles getting ready to perform at the Latin Grammy Awards. I was extremely nervous, but this time around for a different reason then when I was at the American Grammy's last year.<p>

"You've performed these songs a bunch of times already," said Rudy Perez, the writer on my Spanish Album. "You will do fine."

"Yes, but that was different. This is the Grammy's! If I mispronounce the lyrics I will be a disgrace to Latin Music." I dwelled.

"Imagine, if you win tonight you will be the first American artist to win a Latin Grammy!" said Andre, one of my back-up dancers.

I had been nominated for four Latin Grammy awards including: Best Female Vocal Performance for the song _Genio Atrapado_, Record of the Year for the song _Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti, _Best Latin Pop Album for the album _Mi Reflejo, _and Best Female Pop Album for the album _Mi Reflejo. _

I took a deep breath. "I can do this." I told myself. I had spent all day pronouncing-but not singing- the lyrics to the songs I was going to perform (as singing it would give me a sore throat before the performance).

I was singing a ballad called _Contigo en la Distancia, _and _Genio Atrapado _which was _Genie in a Bottle_ in Spanish. I had my pink and blue streaked hair curled in perfect ringlets and clipped back with a rose. I was wearing a long sleeved midriff-bearing red blouse with a long Latin styled red skirt with ruffles to match. For some reason, I was chosen as the opening act for the show.

For a later performance, I would perform another ballad called _Pero Me Acuerdo de Ti _while being lifted on top of a half crescent half circle shape sun that was the logo for my first album while wearing a fluffy white robe. Then when I am brought down on top of a staircase I remove the robe to reveal a beautiful, short, white dress with strings coming off then ends as I perform _Falsas Esperanzas, _an up-beat pop song with extreme dance moves.

At the end of the night, I went home (to Trina's house, actually) with a Grammy for Best Female Pop Album for _Mi Reflejo _and the knowledge of the fact that I had become the first American to ever be awarded such a thing. I was much honored to be accepted by the Latin community especially because when I first put out the album some critics called me a fraud, claiming I just did it to earn money that is coming in with many popular Hispanic artists today such as Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias. Even Jorge called to say congratulations.

* * *

><p><strong>Dear Wonder,<strong>

**Are you ready to rock out at the VMA's with me? I always knew you were hardcore. We should meet up some time for lunch or whatever. We'll talk about how we are going to tear shit up! ****Call me whenever…**

**-THE MAN (Fred Durst)**

I laughed as I read Fred's e-mail. For being such a famous rock star, it was surprisingly easy to get in touch with him. He answered after the first ring when I called, and we planned to meet up at a restaurant on Melrose Avenue.

"What up, pop star?" he smiled when I got to the grill he had chosen. "Congrats on winning your Latin Grammy."

I smiled. "Thanks. Congratulations to you for winning Best International Video at the MuchMusic Awards." I said as I sat down.

"Hey, the band won, not me." He laughed. "It's all Limp Bizkit."

"Where did you get that name?" I wondered aloud.

"Well… I wanted a name that makes the people listening to the music want to turn away. You know, I want to repulse people." He explained. I didn't understand his logic, so I just smiled and nodded. "Where do you get a name like Wonder?"

"Long story short: my parents never thought they could have kids, and then they did. I guess they thought "Miracle" would be too cheesy."

"I like Wonder," he said. "So at the VMA's I already kind of have an idea. But what were you thinking?" he asked me.

"Well, as far as the duet I have no clue… but I was just going to perform my new single _Come on Over_ before your manager called." I said. _Come on Over (All I Want is You) _had gone on to become my fourth number one single in less than two years. Tig said that in the business world, that would be a good song to perform at an award show considering it was doing well, but I didn't mind if Fred had other ideas.

He pulled at his backwards cap. "Okay look, Eminem is supposed to be performing _The Real Slim Shady_ before us, so what I say we do is this: you go on stage and do your song and whatever and then I come out and we sort of… I don't know, pretend to fight. Like I will just come out of the crowd when you finish performing and I will try and show you up. Do you know the song _Livin' it Up?" _he asked me.

"I told you I have your album. Of course I know it." I responded_. Livin' it Up _was one of his band's hit singles.

"Okay so I'll come out of nowhere and just start singing that, and you'll be like 'what the fuck' and kind of come at me with my own lyrics and then we will kind of push and shove and it'll be great. What do you think?" he asked with a gleam in his eye.

"I think that's actually a really good idea." I told him. "Since your rock and I'm pop people will kind of be like 'whoa' and it will be… like a rivalry." I said.

"Exactly! You've got it." Fred snapped his fingers.

"Okay, so I'll see you then, I guess." I told him.

"Wait." He said before I could leave. "If you're ever looking to fuck shit up, just give me a call." He winked.

What? "Um, I have a boyfriend…" I said.

"Oh, who?" he asked.

"Freddy Porter, but it's kind of on the down low…" I didn't want him to accidentally spill the beans.

"The pop prince and princess together alas!" he joked. "Alright, I can respect that. But if you ever get tired of pop, you know where to find me." He told me as I walked away. Well… that wasn't awkward at all.

* * *

><p>When most people are with their families celebrating by the open fire, I was at Madison Square Garden's Auditorium in New York City on Christmas Eve performing songs from my Christmas album for a Christmas special airing live on ABC to an audience of about 10.5 million viewers. Guest stars include: Lil' Bow Wow, Dr. John, and Brian McKnight.<p>

"I like your hair lil' lady," said Lil' Bow Wow, a mainstream rapper who was only 14 years old but literally looked about 10. "I gotta get me some pink streaks like that weaved into my locks!"

"You are so cute!" I said for the twentieth time.

"Wonder, come here for a moment." Felicia said. I followed her back into my dressing room.

"What's up?" I asked.

"Tig told me to inform you that the label has chosen your first single for the new record." She said. Tig had taken off the week of Christmas to go see his mother in Florida.

"What new album?" I asked her.

"The one you've been working on in New York City." She said in a confused tone. I had gone back to finish and record the songs I had started in New York City including the finished version of _Dear Diary. _Although, we had about fifteen songs recorded I still wanted to have a few months off to write more.

"I'm not ready for that yet… what song did they choose?" I asked.

"_Oops! … I Did It Again_" she replied. I was relieved, that was the song I had been hoping for. _Oops! …I Did It Again _was a song I had written with Max Martin. It was about a girl who has so many guys falling in love with her that she feels bad when she doesn't feel the same way back. It was incredibly corny, and to make that clear we even added a reference to the movie _Titanic_ in the song.

"I need to talk to Tig about this when he gets back." I said. "I don't have a problem with the song… I just don't want to start promoting any album yet."

"I understand where you are coming from." Felicia agreed. "You need at least a month or two to catch up on all the sleep you've been missing. Forget releasing an album!"

* * *

><p>I was sitting in Freddy's tour bus on the way from his show with 'N Sync to a press conference they were dropping me off at in Los Angeles. Sitting next to me, Kayla was changing the station on Freddy's satellite TV. "Look what's on!" she said turning to a recap of the VMA's which took place only two weeks earlier. It showed a clip of me in a red halter top and skin-tight pants that matched the streaks in my hair perfectly and rhinestones covering my stomach.<p>

"_I'm not just talking about your sexuality, and I can't help myself when you put your hands on me. Its paradise when you and I get close, get tight. One on one, I wanna go on all night. I wanna play that game with you baby. All I want is you!" _I sang on stage hitting the notes and my dance moves perfectly.

Then they showed Fred Durst walking onto the stage from the crowd. "_The world is like a cage, and I don't think it's fair. And I don't even think that anybody cares."_ He rapped into the microphone. "_Oh?" _I said to him, looking pissed off. He continued, "_We gotta get out!"_

I yelled, "_Get it out." _

He continued "_Get it out, with this mother fucking microphone. Plugging in my soul. I'm a renegade riot getting out of control!" _and it went back and forth like that as we "competed" for the audience's attention. At one point I even got right up in his face (well about a foot below it as he's like six feet tall) and we pushed each other. "_If you feel Mothafucka then you'll say …"_

"_Hell yeah!" I responded._

"_Hell yeah I'm living life in the fast lane!" _he yelled. Then we both bowed and walked off stage.

"Intense performance you did there," Kayla told me as she turned up the volume.

Back on the screen the lead singer from another popular rock band called _The Filter_ was shown. "Fred Durst is a pop-lovin' frozen piece of dog shit." Richard Patrick said. "Fred getting on stage with Wonder Blake embarrassed us all. I speak on the behalf of all rockers when I say this."

Then the TV switched to a clip of Fred Durst at a party in The Playboy Mansion. "I already told you guys before, I did it all for the nookie. That's why I did that with Wonder." He said referencing his song called _Nookie_. "I want that girl and that's it. What do you want?" he asked. "I don't want to make music like her. I can't stand that type of music. People are like, 'why'd you do that for?' Like, what do you think I did that for? It's obvious isn't it? You know what I mean? So that's the deal. Everyone who was saying that wishes they were doing that too." He said completely straight-faced.

"What the fuck?" I said backstage at the press conference. "That's not true!"

"I thought Fred Durst was supposed to be your friend?" Kayla asked me as I walked towards the table. As soon as sat down I had a million people bombarding me with questions.

"Have you heard what Fred Durst has said about you? 'He did it all for the nookie'. How do you respond?"

I sighed. "He got no nookie! That did not happen okay?" I laughed. "I just wanna clear the table right there and the thing with J too. The whole Eminem song did not happen, okay?" I laughed even harder. "It just didn't, but it's some really crazy stuff that people want to insinuate and people wanna say, and it's hurtful."

"Are you angry with Fred Durst?" another man asked writing notes.

"Fred is crazy. Fred, man, how dumb are you if you're trying to get with somebody and then you and appear in a video that flat-out disses her. You know what I mean?" I told them. "I understand he and Eminem are good friends and they are touring together or whatever. But if he really told Eminem that, none of it is true. Seriously, I haven't spent 'quality time' with either of those two guys."

"What about your eating disorder?" the same man said. "Would you like to speak up about that?"

I made my fakest smile. "I actually don't have one. Maybe you have the wrong person." I said as kindly as I could.

* * *

><p>"Wonder, I know how you feel right now" Tig said backstage. "But you really need to put some thought into the way you answer these questions."<p>

"You can't be so mean!" Steve flipped out. "Little kids look up to you! Their parents aren't going to buy your album when you behave like that!"

"You are always telling me what to say and how to say it. I don't think I was being too harsh." I stated.

Freddy came to my defense, "Look, I've heard the song and out of all of us I think he hit Wonder the worst."

"Agreed." Kayla chimed in.

"I don't even get it. Why does everybody gotta be lying…" I complained. "None of that shit was true at all."

"I repeat, didn't you say that Fred Durst was your friend?" Kayla asked.

"Apparently all he wanted was "nookie". He was never really my friend and he obviously made it pretty clear that he doesn't like my music." I responded.

Felicia looked at me sympathetically. "He shouldn't have bashed your career like that," she said. "what does 'nookie' even mean?"

"Sexual intercourse." Steve answered.

Freddy looked pissed off. "Jesus Christ, how old is Durst anyways?" he asked. "Like twenty-five? Wonder was only seventeen up until 3 weeks ago! He's practically accusing himself of rape."

"Eminem said that he wanted to get with Wonder before she turned eighteen. Too late!" Kayla giggled.

Tig's head snapped towards her. "Kayla, this isn't a laughing matter. Get your attitude together."

"Um, how about you? You know I don't think it's very appropriate for Wonder to have rumors about her sucking dick's, giving venereal diseases to famous rappers, and giving nookie to rock stars. Especially at this age she's at. I mean look at all the kids listening to her. Maybe you should do something, Tig!" Kayla went off.

"Seriously though," Steve said. "You are really going against the image the label wants for you."

I laughed ironically. "Why do I need an image? I'm a person!"

"No you're not. You are a package, a product. People want to get what they paid for." Steve continued. "All of this. The pink and blue hair and sexual references in that new single of yours… I really think we need to reconsider for the next album. You are a young girl with a young audience. The new songs will be just as squeaky clean as the first album. Radio Disney already banned _Come on Over_ from the air."

It was true, but I couldn't believe it. I was not nearly as sexed out as Kayla was in her videos. I was never out right sexy and the most sexual lyric I've ever had just came out in my new song, "I'm not just talking about your sexuality, but I can't help myself when you put your hands on me." And that was it. I acted as virginal as I possibly could. For Pete's sake I had been dating Freddy for 9 months and we hadn't even done it yet!

"Fine, I'll take the colors out of my hair if that will make you feel better! But, seriously, it's not my fault that some rapper is spreading sexual rumors about me. I didn't mean for that to happen!" I said on the brink of tears. At first, I didn't really mind when I heard the song. But now Steve has got me thinking that I've disappointed my fans, and on top of that Fred Durst embarrassed me in front of the whole world. Everyone knew I had a crush on him before I was dating Freddy, and now he's just making me look like a slut. Plus, he dissed my music.

Steve's face held a look of sympathy, "He isn't going to get away with that." He told me.

"What are we going to do, sue him?" I said, thinking it wasn't actually that bad of an idea.

"You know what he did is illegal." Tig said. "That's called 'libeling'. Saying things publicly that aren't true, not to mention he got money off of it."

Steve agreed. "Half of what he sold of that single was probably just the curiosity of your fans." He guessed. "This isn't just about him shit-talking, which obviously he is infamous for. This is about your pride Wonder, and you aren't going to let him stomp all over you like that."

It felt like high school. It felt as bad as when Jen Burke told everyone at school not to talk to me because I was a stuck-up B-Kid. Or like the time everyone moved off the dance floor because my song had come on at the prom. Only this was way worse, because of course, not only would Jen Burke hear Eminem's song, but so would the rest of the world. It was hard to grasp my head around it, and I wasn't sure I was prepared to deal with this level of fame.

"I didn't mean for him to do this!" I said letting my tears flow. "I wasn't even thinking when I said those things on my 'What a Girl Wants' TV special." Half of me wanted to apologize to Eminem and beg him to take it back, and the other half just wanted him to suffer. "It didn't even have anything to do with him! What do you expect me to say? Somebody should probably tell him that I was exposed to domestic violence as a child!" I blurted out. The whole room was silent. "I should go…" I said as I walked to my dressing room.

Behind me I heard Kayla telling Freddy that she would talk to me. "Hey," she said as she came in. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said. It was only half true.

"Look, I get how this stuff is. It's not an easy thing when lies are told about you all around the world, but really, it gets better. I promise." She told me.

I sighed, "How? Do people just stop telling rumors eventually?" I asked doubtfully.

"Yeah, they stop telling rumors when they stop caring. But way too many people care about you, so I wouldn't count on that. It gets better because you get stronger. You have to keep your head held high no matter what, okay? Don't let anybody push you around."

"I know." I sniffled.

"And listen to me. Just because Tig or Steve says it, it doesn't mean its right. What you said out there at the press conference was not too harsh, and what you said on TV about domestic abuse right."

"Did you know?" I asked Kayla.

"Yeah Lucky told me about all of your family stuff." She said, "she told Freddy too…"

"Oh…" I said, "That's a good thing I guess," I felt like now would have been a good time to ask Kayla about the whole lesbian thing, but for some reason I just couldn't.


	12. Oops! I Did It Again

Ch. 11- Oops! ...I Did It Again

Imagine being outside in the sunlight while working long hard hours. Maybe you are a pack mule carrying somebody else's luggage through the desert or a slave building a pyramid in Egypt. After what seems like endless work you finally get your much needed sleep, it's not too much time, but just enough to rejuvenate your thirst for action once again. This is how I felt after one month on break in L.A.

I stayed at Trina's house while she was on tour. She was kind enough to let me borrow it since I had no home of my own. Of course, my family had begged me to come back and spend my free time with them in Devonport at first, but then things changed. Tig had gotten Zoe an opportunity to act on a Nickelodeon comedy show called "All That" and the best part about it: it was shot in LA, so say goodbye to Cape Cod and hello to the City of Angels (at least for the time being, anyways). It worked out so conveniently that Zoe and my mom were able to live at Trina's house with me since I hated to live alone (My dad and Charlie had stayed back in Devonport).

The month seemed to go on forever as it was filled with days lying out on the beach in Malibu, shopping on Melrose Avenue, and best of all hanging out with Freddy. When I wasn't busy doing one of those things I was literally driving myself nuts with all the free time because I wasn't used to having nothing to do. My mother even convinced me to help her write a book- and I actually enjoyed it.

One day I even caught up on my favorite soap opera: _South Coast _featuring Will Nieves_._ I had missed the last two seasons because a very time consuming pop career got in the way of its schedule times. After, I flipped to MTV to see none other but my face on the screen.

"Fans of the young pop singer have been going crazy since Wonder Blake's management has filed a lawsuit against the infamous rapper. Several other celebrities have spoken out against Eminem's unkind words, not only towards Wonder, but towards all women in general" said the man on the screen.

"Eminem is the most disgusting and repulsive mind to ever enter the rap business. Soon he's going to be on his knees begging for forgiveness" said some rapper I did not recognize. "And Fred Durst is nothing more than a hypocritical ego-maniac."

The clip switched to a picture of Eminem holding up his hands in a "don't blame me" gesture before switching to Fred Durst. "I have kissed Wonder Blake and I went out with her, but I wasn't involved with her sexually." He said. "She was only 17 at the time, but yes I would love to be involved with her now. Eminem is one of the greatest rappers of all time. He trashing her is between the two of them. I think she's a really, really talented woman. I think she's an amazing performer and singer. I think she's going to stick around for a very long time." he told the man interviewing him "But I also think what's going on in her life is kind of diluted a washed out a little bit… I don't know." he played with his backwards cap. "She's young, and something about her 'drives me crazy' about the way she sings and performs and the _presence_ she has. So I was into her. She knows I didn't do anything. Whatever she and Em have issues on- that's their thing."

_Whatever, _I thought. He was a horny asshole. It didn't matter to me though, I was so over it. I was about to release a new album and everything was going to start new again. Well kind of…

"I have something important to tell you." Tig said as I was waiting for my costume to arrive on the set of my music video for _Oops! …I Did It Again- _my first start of action to promote my new album. It was being filmed in Universal City, California.

"Okay, hold on a sec." I said while looking for Felicia in the crowd of production workers. "Where is my cat suit?" I asked when I found her. For my video, I had an idea that I would be the goddess of Mars and an ex-boyfriend (who happened to be an astronaut) would find me there giving a great performance on how I will never love him as much as he loves me.

"It's not ready yet." Felicia told me.

"What? Why? Filming starts like… right now." I stressed.

"Honey, it's okay." My mom said while massaging my shoulders. Now that she lived in LA, she told me she would be there for me more often. I wasn't sure if this was a good or bad thing. "Felicia, do you think you could tell the directors to film the second scene where she wears the white mini skirt and half top instead?" she asked her.

"Yes, of course." She smiled as she walked off.

"Now what were you saying?" I said turning back to Tig.

"Kayla is no longer my client." He blurted out. I probably looked really stupid, sitting there with my mouth wide open.

"What do you mean?" I asked stupidly.

"I mean she fired me." He said and I swore I saw the beginning of a grin around his lips. "It was something about me being way to busy with you and how she needs a movie career. Apparently I'm an asshole as well…" he explained.

"Oh Tig I'm so…sorry?" my voice rose at the end of the sentence, though I didn't intend for it to.

"Honestly Wonder, I don't think I've ever felt so relieved. Kayla did well in the industry, but sometimes she just wasn't worth it."

"How could she… fire you? You are an amazing manager Tig. You got her as far as she did." I told him honestly.

"Thanks kiddo, you're a true star." He winked at me before answering another phone call.

"Wonder Blake! You are needed on set!" I heard a British voice call me from a blow horn.

I walked up to a man sitting in a classic Hollywood director's chair, but this one said _only a Dick can sit here_ across the back. "Nigel Dick!" I said. "How are you?"

When in need of a hit music video who other to call than Nigel Dick? Obviously it was my idea, as everyone else around me seems to hate him. My mom is still holding a grudge on how I broke my leg on the set of _Sometimes_ just because he was the director.

"Oh, I'm just peachy darling, especially when the costume designer doesn't have your red latex cat-suit ready in time for filming. But that's alright; you look like a gorgeous space goddess in that outfit as well." he told me. I was wearing a white latex halter top and a matching mini skirt and my dark blonde hair with light streaks in a "bee hive" piled on top of my head, _Star Trek_ style. "So in this scene we will have your boyfriend held captive in a chamber in the air while you lay on a white lighting pad below him singing the lyrics to the song. Got it?" he asked.

"Yes," it was my idea after all. I lied down on my table while my dancers lied on tables next to me.

"Action!" he screamed.

_You see my problem is this_

_I'm dreaming away_

_Wishing that heroes, they truly exist_

_I cry watching the days_

_Can't you see I'm a fool?_

_In so many ways_

_But to lose all of my senses_

_That is just so typically me, baby, oh!_

All of a sudden I saw one of the cameras above me break loose. Before I could register what was happening the camera was aiming straight for my head- fast.

"This is my little girl!" my mom screamed at Nigel Dick from outside my dressing room. "Do you understand that she could have died? I can assure you that if I didn't kill you first, one of her fans would eventually." She spoke.

Thankfully, the injuries were minor. The camera just missed smashing my head, but I didn't get out without a scratch. Because my head was bleeding, my mom thought it was necessary to call a doctor on set in case of a concussion. Instead I had to receive four stitches and four hours of rest before returning to the video.

"Before I go, maybe we should talk about your health." The doctor said. "You're underweight for somebody your size, and I see on your record that you've been getting frequent stomach and throat sores…"

"Well the throat sores are from singing everyday on tour…" I said defensively.

Felicia and my mother looked at each other. "What can we do about her weight?" my mom asked him.

Felicia sighed, "She's been getting enough nutrition and protein. I don't know what else to do. She won't gain weight."

"The only thing I can tell you is that she needs to sleep. It is evident from these records that she hasn't been resting enough, and perhaps she's just working too hard." He told them.

"Well what about when I go on tour again? Even if I rest, I won't gain weight." I said.

"Your body obviously can't handle the work you are putting on it without training. I will recommend a physical trainer to help get your body into shape for such a rigorous schedule you have."

When finally returning to shoot the video I overheard Steve, "You're just lucky MTV agreed not to show this part on _Making the Video_" Steve told Nigel. I sighed. I understand that things could have been worse, but I was okay. I didn't need everyone making a fuss over an accident.

After filming a dance scene in a red latex cat suit, I changed into a black leather miniskirt and sweater to go meet my astronaut ex-boyfriend.

"_Wonder, before you go, there's something I want you to have" _he says.

"_Aw it's beautiful, but isn't this…?" _I ask.

"_Yes, yes it is." _

"_But I thought the old lady dropped it into the ocean in the end." _I said referring to the "Heart of the Ocean" jeweled necklace from the film _Titanic._

"_Well baby, I went down and got it for you." _

"_Aw, you shouldn't have."_ I say before walking away with the necklace, leaving the astronaut behind broken hearted. It was incredibly cheesy, I know, but that's what makes it so fun! Why not fool around while you're young? Taking yourself too seriously is _so_ boring.

"Wonder! I'm so glad you are okay!" Freddy exclaimed when he came to my (Trina's) house two days later. He handed me a box of chocolates and three balloons.

I smiled. "This wasn't necessary! I'm fine, really."

"Thank god, what would I do without you?" he asked. "You can't be put in such dangerous situations anymore."

I grabbed his hand. "Come here, I have something to show you." I told him as I led him into Trina's large living room.

"A Wonder Blake collectible doll?" he asked as he held up a doll version of me. Recently, my label had signed an agreement with _Barbie_ to create a series of dolls wearing outfits from my music videos and live performances.

"No, but have you seen the new 'N Sync dolls?" I asked him. "They are adorable!"

He rolled his eyes. "No I haven't. I'm actually not in charge of that stuff. Dolls are more JC's thing…" he joked.

"Trina sent me these as a joke." I told him as I showed him the doll versions of his boy group. "They even sing." I pressed the button on the back of Doll Freddy's back.

_I know that I can't take no more, it ain't no lie_

_I wanna see you out that door, baby, bye bye bye_

_Don't wanna be a fool for you_

_Just another player in your game for two_

_You may hate me but it ain't no lie_

_Baby, bye bye bye!_

He laughed as he turned off the doll. "Look I'm not against _Barbie_ dolls, but it kind of freaks me out when they look like me."

I smiled as I continued singing _Bye Bye Bye, _'N Sync's most recent hit single. "_Don't really wanna make it tough, I just wanna tell you that I've had enough. It might sound crazy but it ain't no lie, baby bye bye bye._ I love that song!"

"I love you!" he said before kissing me. "Now what was it that you were going to show me?"

I sat down on Trina's piano. "I wrote you a song. Trina wrote the piano melody but I'm pretty sure I can remember it." I told him.

After I was finished singing it for him, he grinned. "I like that song, a lot."

"It's called _Dear Diary_ and it's going to be on my new album. Trina said that people won't necessarily know it's about you so it won't give our secret away."

He sighed. "It seems like everyone already knows. It's all over the magazines and the paparazzi always see us holding hands at movie premieres. There are so many rumors."

"Yeah, we aren't very good at keeping secrets I guess. Do you think that we should just tell everyone?" I asked. It wasn't really what I wanted, but keeping secrets wasn't much better. And with all the rumors circulating, it wasn't as if we had privacy.

"Maybe that would be a good idea. I just don't want it to affect our relationship." He told me with a worried face.

"Me either, but don't worry. They can't have a hold on us." I was surprised on how gooey I was being, but hey, I was a girl after all. Plus, the way Freddy's eyes looked into mine, I felt like mush all over.

He made the most adorable smile, and then he said, "I have to show you something too." And then he kissed me before bringing me upstairs to give me the most intimate thing a person could give.

"How long have you been dating Freddy Porter?" asked an interviewer from a gossip website when I walked down the red carpet at a movie premiere. Since declaring our relationship to the public, I have been asked countless questions about Freddy in every interview.

"About a year or so." I answered as I gazed at Freddy who was only about 3 yards from me, talking to another journalist.

"In your new single called _Oops! … I Did It Again; _you say in the lyrics that you're 'not that innocent'. What does that mean?"

"Well the song is about a girl who has all these guys falling in love with her and she is just having fun. She has a crush, but this guy thinks the world of her. She's 'not that innocent', she's not as amazing as he thinks." I explained.

"So this has nothing to do with sexual encounters with your boyfriend?" he asked.

"No, it has nothing to do with that…" I answered. I wasn't sure where the minds of these people were, but the song was 'that innocent'. I never referred to sex in my lyrics.

"Do you believe in sex before marriage?" he pushed.

I blushed, thinking of what Freddy and me were doing just a week earlier. We hadn't jumped into sex right away when we began dating, but after a while it just sort of… happened. "Um, I think it's a really great thing to wait until marriage. If you know that you really love somebody, I think it's a very sacred thing." I answered. Technically, there was no lie. I never said I wasn't having sex.

After talking to about 10 different journalists, I ran into someone I didn't intend to see: Fred Durst. "Wonder, I haven't heard from you for a while!" he said.

I didn't want to be rude in public, but I was really upset. "Hey Fred," I mumbled.

"Look, you're not mad at me for all that crap right? I mean, you know I didn't do anything."

I looked up at him. "Well first you told the whole world that I was easy and then you continued to bash my music so…"

He sighed. "What was I supposed to do? Those guys at the Playboy Mansion party were going to eat the living shit out of me. I had to say something to get them off my back."

Now it was my turn to sigh. I didn't want to be mad at Fred, I really didn't. I couldn't stand the constant drama. "Well next time could you please think of something better? You kind of embarrassed me." I admitted.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so sorry."

"Its fine, Fred. I understand." It wasn't fine, and I didn't really need to understand. But at least this way, things would be cool between us and I wouldn't have to hear him talking more crap.

"So, have you dumped Fred-dy Porter for plain old Fred?" he laughed at his own stupid joke.

"Um no, we are doing great actually." I said sincerely.

"Oh," his face fell. "Well, I'll see you around…" he walked away practically stomping his feet like a little kid.

"So what if they think you are a virgin?" Tig said a week later, when my virginity was on the front page of almost everything. "It's no one else's business what you do in your private time."

"I know it's just kind of… I don't know." I stuttered. I was embarrassed even talking about this in front of Tig and Steve. They were practically parents.

"What are you trying to say?" Tig asked.

"It's just… now everyone is going to label me that way. Wonder: the virgin. I don't want that image. I like being sexy…" It was true. I wasn't about to go out in front of everyone and talk about my sex life, but I liked feeling hot. And with the constant working out I was doing with my trainer, I was very hot indeed.

Steve looked at me. "Innocently sexy, that's your image. It always has been; nothing has changed. Don't deny the virginity thing, just let it go. You have a bright spotlight on you because of this announcement. It's not a bad thing."

"Jesus Christ!" Tig blurted out as he looked at his e-mail on his cell phone.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

Tig handed me the phone. On the screen was a video of _E News, _a television show that updates daily about the latest Hollywood gossip.

"Rumors are circulating that teen pop stars Kayla and Wonder Blake are in a serious rivalry due to the recent business-break-up of Kayla and her manager Gerald Tiggs, who also manages Wonder." The man who hosts the show said. It was weird that they still called Kayla a teen pop star even though she was 20 now. Some images are just so hard to shed.

"They refuse to arrive at any of the same parties or red-carpet events, as they won't even speak." He continued. I honestly didn't know anything about it, but I hadn't seen Kayla since she fired Tig. Was she mad at me? "Also, Fred Durst has some cruel things to say about Ms. Wonder Blake." He said before the clip switched to Fred.

"I did her a fucking favor, and all I get is a bunch of shit. Fans were like, 'what the fuck did you do that for?'" Fred Durst said to the camera, obviously referring to last year's Video Music Awards. "Afterwards she was on MTV saying 'the worst thing that happened to me this year is that Fred Durst called me so many times I had to stop answering my phone.' That's bullshit man, fucking bullshit. She's an ungrateful, spoiled-rotten asshole who has an amazing fucking talent… she's talented, but she doesn't see what's in front of her because she's so young and dumb. And it makes me thing, what the fuck was I thinking? But I did it, and I know that I have good karma coming. Fuck her, man. I don't respect her." He practically spat.

What was he talking about? I never spoke about him on MTV, and wasn't he just apologizing to me, like, a week ago right before hitting on me? If I didn't know any better I'd say that Fred Durst had developed a crush on me.

Steve smiled. "It doesn't even matter. Your whole fan base is practically attacking Eminem and Fred Durst. Everybody is so over them. You're a virgin pop star. You win."

"Well isn't this a controversy?" I asked. "Isn't this bad?"

Tig said, "We've already taken legal actions against Eminem and you've already spoken out about Durst. There's nothing we can do, not that we even have to. This is hardly a controversy, just some lame-ass trying to get attention."

I laughed. "Thank god."

"Wow look at that!" I said to Felicia while pointing to the cover of my first album _Genie in a Bottle_. I was wearing a school girl outfit with an Arabian chain across my belly button and I had my hands pressed together over my head genie-style. "Oh my goodness, I look like I'm twelve years old or something."

She smiled. "You were sixteen. A lot has changed in two and a half years." She was right. Looking at the cover for my new album, I could see how much I've changed. Now, my hair was longer (extensions of course) and blonder; my skin was darker from the constant spray tans; my abs were tighter than ever, due to training; and my face was just more mature in general.

On the cover of _Oops! … I Did It Again, _my second studio album (not including EP, Spanish, and holiday albums) I was wearing a brown midriff-bearing tank top with matching pants that tied down the sides. I wore an intense expression while standing in front of golden-brown beads hanging from the ceiling. The track listing consisted of:

_Oops! … I Did It Again_

_Stronger_

_Don't Go Knockin' On My Door_

_(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction_ – a remake of the song by the Rolling Stone's

_Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know_

_What U See (Is What U Get)_

_Lucky_

_One Kiss from You_

_Where Are You Now_

_Can't Make You Love Me_

_When You're Eyes Say It_

_Dear Diary_

"Are you happy with the way the album turned out?" she asked me.

"Well, I'm not upset with it, if that's what you mean. I love every song on there, but I would also love to have something with more vocals and R&B." I explained.

"Well why didn't you do something like that?" she asked.

I sighed. "I don't know. I didn't have time and Steve says it's not a good idea. Whatever, teen girls would relate to this more I think. It's not personal but… it's really good, I think."

"I think you are at a point right now Wonder, that you should be soaking up what you have. You are doing amazing, your album just sold more than 500,000 albums on its first day of release, and it's at number one. You must enjoy this." She smiled.

"Trust me I am! You know what? I'm rich. I'm so freaking rich it's crazy." It was weird to say out loud. Obviously my pay checks had been getting larger and larger since the first record was released, but I never did much with the money. I got clothes for free because designers wanted me to wear their stuff in public; the label took care of all my hair and make-up fees. The only time I ever spent money was… to eat. I hardly ever had time to shop, except for my break in between albums. "I'm going to buy you something Felicia. What do you want?"

She blushed. "I don't want anything sweetheart. I want you to be happy…"

"Liar, you want something. A new puppy maybe, or what about a car?" I asked. If I didn't have anything to buy, at least Felicia could get something out of all this money. It's not like I could get a car, I didn't even have my license yet!

"I'll make you a list on my birthday." She laughed. "But as I was saying, I do want you to enjoy what you have right now, but I know you have it in you do something more if you wanted. All of these ideas you have, don't just push them away. Make an R&B album one day!"

I thought about it. "Yeah, I think I will."

My second single off my second record was called _Lucky. _When Max Martin first came up with the song I thought it was going to be about my sister, but then I realized that I never told him about her. The song was about a famous actress named Lucky who had everything materialistic in the world, but she still wasn't happy. The song was obviously about me even though I was a singer named Wonder not an actress named Lucky.

Although the song wasn't technically about my sister, I felt like it was a "Lucky"-charm to put it on the album. There was no way I would ever hear the song without thinking of her. In the video for the song I got to play my alter ego called Lucky. I was surprised on how much I looked like my sister: wearing a golden blonde wig and a Monroe mole, I could have been her twin.

The video was directed by Dave Meyers, as my mom refuses to ever let Nigel Dick work with me again. Along with my mom, Freddy also came to the video shoot.

"Was that planned?" he asked me. In the scene I had just shot, I had cried while lying on a bed dressed as Lucky. Although the lyrics say "_And she cries, cries, cries in her lonely heart thinking: if there's nothing missing in my life then why do these tears come at night?" _it was not planned for me to actually start crying- and mess up my eyeliner.

"No," I answered. "That was just a Lucky thing…"

"I'm sorry," He said. "This must be hard for you, having a song titled after her and stuff."

"No, I'm glad. I want her to be a part of…this. I don't want to forget her in my fame, you know?"

"That's sweet. She would love this song." Freddy told me. It was a good feeling knowing that Freddy knew Lucky. I knew Lucky would approve of him. He was everything any girl could want in a boyfriend and more.

"I love you." I told him.

He took my hand, "I love you too."

"He…is...so…hot." I muttered to Trina who had just finished her tour with Destiny's Child.

"He's yours." She said. The words could hardly sink in. Freddy Porter- the heartthrob of all teenage girls, the super talented singer and dancer, the mega-star, was _my_ boyfriend, mine, not Kayla's, not anybody else's.

"It's not fair. Why does he get a body like that?" I asked. Was it so wrong to check out your shirtless boyfriend while he rehearsed for a new tour? It was actually Freddy's band mates who had come up with the idea of doing a combining tour with me. Since they were majorly established already, there was no way they would have signed on the tour with me while being called an "opening act". They had a full set list with props and more. I just perform after them and have a slightly longer set list.

"It's perfect though. You're looking pretty hot these days too." She complimented me.

"Not that good…" I replied, but I was just being modest. I knew that I was hot, even if I wasn't going to brag about it. My C-cup boobs were not shed off during my intense dancing, my abs were tighter than possible, and my butt was just-big-enough due to the 500 squats I did every day. I was in full pop-princess glory and I had the boy to prove it.

"I really want to see this show." Trina said. "Tig told me it was supposed to be great."

"I'll be doing the final dress rehearsal right after 'N Sync finishes up their set." I told her.

After going through the entire show once, I felt confident that I was ready to go on the road.

The show began with the video introduction "The Wonder Blake Experience", in which three images of me welcomed spectators to the show. Then, a giant metal orb was lowered onstage and lifted again to reveal me standing behind it, wearing glittery jeans and an orange halter top. I started with two dance-oriented performances of "(You Drive Me) Crazy" and "Stronger". This was followed by "What U See (Is What U Get)" in which I danced on a stripper pole (innocently of course) on top of a mobile staircase pushed around by my dancers. The act ended with me talking to the audience and sitting on a stool to perform "From the Bottom of My Broken Heart" with my guitarist Skip. After I left the stage, there was a video interlude hosted by *NSYNC in which contestants did different games in order to meet me. I appeared onstage to meet the chosen fan and then welcomed the audience into my bedroom. Wearing pajamas and slippers, I performed "Born to Make You Happy", which included a dance segment near the end. The next performance of "Lucky" featured a navy theme. I continued with "Sometimes", in which I wore an outfit similar to the one I wore in the music video of the song. At the end, I climbed the staircase and briefly spoke to the audience before moving into a performance of "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", for which I wore a long white dress trimmed with boa feathers.

A band interlude showcasing a mix of funk and progressive rock followed, and I reappeared to perform my cover of Sonny & Cher's "The Beat Goes On." During the performance, I was lifted into the air wearing a kimono that covered most of the stage. I continued with "Don't Go Knockin' on My Door" and my cover of The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" which ended with a dance sequence set to the original version. Later there was a dance interlude in which the dancers showed their individual moves while their names appeared on the screens. I took the stage again in a conservative schoolgirl outfit to perform "...Baby One More Time." I ripped it off halfway through the song to reveal a cheerleader ensemble. I then thanked the audience and left the stage. I returned shortly after to perform "Oops! ... I Did It Again", that included pyrotechnics and other special effects. Finally, I ended the performance disappearing through a tunnel of fire.

"That was amazing, babe." Freddy told me after rehearsing. "The show is going to be so sick."

"I hope. I can't believe we are touring together! This is going to be so fun." I replied.

"You are going to stay in my tour bus with me right?" he asked.

"Ha ha, you know my mom wouldn't appreciate that." When my mom lived on Cape Cod, it was way easier to do whatever I wanted. You would think that now that I'm 18 that she would loosen up, but I think she's trying to make-up for the time she missed.

"I thought you said that Zoe was going back home after filming the season of _All that." _Acting was my little sister's dream, but even she realized how much I missed out by becoming a pop star. I didn't have that many friends in Devonport anyways, so it probably worked out best for me, but Zoe still had a life there. She couldn't move to LA permanently.

"Yeah, but I think my mom still wants to come on tour for a while. Now that we've finished our first book, she wants to write another!" The first book my mom and I had written was called _Heart-to-Heart with Wonder Blake. _It was pretty much an autobiography of my childhood and how my mom raised me. Tig and Steve thought the fans would love it, so it's going to be released later this month.

"That's alright. We will figure something out. Maybe I can sneak onto your tour bus before anyone notices and we can stay up all night." He winked.

"Doing what, playing video games?" I flirted.

"No way, not a chance when I have you all alone."

"You are so lucky that my mom loves you, or else she would be a little suspicious." I joked. My mom has always been protective of my heart, and my body. She thought that I was smarter than to just throw it away. She knew I wasn't a virgin, I told her way back with Jorge, but definitely not with Liam. It was kind of embarrassing thinking about how I lost my virginity to some asshole guy that probably didn't even like me. But when I met Jorge, I just felt like it was something I needed her to know, I wanted to be close to her. I'm sure she knew that Freddy and I were doing it, and she didn't seem protective of my heart with him either, considering that she is already practically planning our wedding.

"I can be really sneaky." He promised.

I giggled. "Oh, I know you will be."

Trina coughed. "I love you guys, I really do. But you are not being sneaky- at all. I'm standing right here."

I blushed. "Sorry…"

Freddy laughed. "Come on Trina! Can't a guy just have a good conversation with his hot girlfriend without someone interrupting?"

"That's life in the spotlight for you." she replied. "Wonder, have you spoken to Kayla recently?"

"Um no, I think she might be pissed at me because of the whole Tig thing, why?"

"Well you know, I heard that crap on TV, and I haven't heard you say anything about her." She replied.

"Are you worried about her?" Freddy asked.

"No, I was just wondering." Trina responded.

"Bull shit. I don't see why you guys stopped being friends."

"It's complicated, okay." Trina sighed.

"No, women are complicated." Freddy reasoned. I cleared my throat. "Well, except for my woman."

"Nice save." I said as I pecked him on the cheek. "I still love you though"

Trina snorted. "Okay, I will be leaving you two alone now." Freddy and I looked at each other and laughed.


	13. Stronger

After debating it over and over in my head, I decided to call Kayla. The only thing worse than knowing she was mad at me, was not knowing anything at all.

"Hello," she answered sounding as if she had just woken up.

"Kayla, did I wake you up?" I said.

"Wonder, you fucking bitch. I was sleeping."

"I'm sorry. Where are you?"

"In New York, where I live, duh."

"Well, it's been months since you've even called me, so…"

"Holy shit, why didn't you just fly up here and see me? I've been working, babe. No time for phone calls." She said.

"Working on what?" I asked.

"We can't have a convo like this over the phone. Where the fuck are you? I'm buying a plane ticket."

"I'll be in Germany tomorrow." I told her.

"Germany, why?"

"European tour, remember?"

"Okay, Germany here I come." She said before hanging up the phone. Does anybody say goodbye anymore?

* * *

><p>Two days later, at about 3:00 AM Germany time, Kayla was sitting in my hotel room. "So tell me, what is the 'big project' you've been working on?" I asked.<p>

"Okay, I'll tell you. But you can't tell Dean, and that means you can't tell Freddy either." She said giving me a serious look.

"Dean? I don't even talk to him, like ever." I said. "Why can't he know?"

"You're not going to say anything to Freddy right?"

"Um, I don't know, Kayla. We don't really keep secrets from each other. It doesn't matter, it's not like he would say anything to Dean either; they hardly talk anymore."

She sighed. "Whatever, tell him whatever you want. So remember how I told you Dean wanted me to do some movie with him?"

I vaguely remember her mentioning something like that. "You said that like two and a half years ago…"

"Right, so the producers called me up and offered me the job. The only thing is they don't want Dean."

"What? Why not? He's a really good actor." I said.

"Beats me, at first I felt bad but like, hello! This is the chance of a lifetime. The director of the movie is like totally famous. I just don't want Dean to get his feelings hurt, you know? I still kind of like him even though we've been broken up for a while."

I was so confused. Was Kayla lying to my face, or was she trying to convince herself that she likes guys? Since I wasn't all that good at playing it cool, I was sure that she knew that I knew she was a lesbian. But then why would she dangle it in front of me?

"You like… Dean?" I asked.

"I know he's a total douche bag and stuff, but I can be a real bitch too. He's just so hot. It's not like I want to marry the guy or anything."

I inhaled sharply. "So… you don't like girls?"

Her jaw dropped and she stared at me for a total of five long seconds. "What, you didn't know already?" she said.

"I'm confused. You do or you don't?"

She laughed at me. She actually laughed. "Wonder, everyone knows I'm bi. At least everyone who is anyone knows, anyway. It's no secret."

"I knew, I mean I've heard around… but I just couldn't ask you."

"Why? Everyone else did?"

"Um, I don't know. I guess I was scared you would be mad at me." I said honestly.

"Wonder, please. I like Dean, and I like sexy guys. Remember when we used to rate the guys in the magazines on B-Kidz?" she asked.

"Yeah I guess."

"I'm attracted to guys, but I really like girls too. I can't label it. At first I thought maybe it was just a sex thing but now I've learned to just let it be. Why bother to categorize myself, you know?" she asked. I did know. I wasn't a lesbian, but I definitely knew what it felt like to be labeled and packaged.

"Why haven't you told everyone? Like your fans and stuff, I mean." I wondered.

"I don't know. The same reason why you couldn't ask me- I'm just scared I guess. I will one day, I'm just not ready." She replied. "I have other things on my mind right now."

"When do you start filming your movie?" I asked.

Her eyes lit up. "This month, I'm so excited! But I'm glad I got to come see you before filming starts."

"When do you have to leave?"

"Soon, but there's something I need to do first." She told me.

"In Germany?" I asked.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I need to apologize to Tig. I was such a bitch to him when I fired him."

"Oh," I said. That was unexpected.

"He has been my manager since I left B-Kidz. I needed to move on in my career, and I get he was busy with you. I'm not pissed, really. I just… I don't know. Tig is more than just a manager. He's practically my family." She admitted.

"I understand." Tig was a great guy. He was one of the few people in this business that actually cared about your well-being.

"Like, who am I supposed to go to for advice, my parents? I think not. They are way too busy being mad-scientist college professors and they are mega-embarrassed by my 'trashy' career. I don't want Tig to be my manager anymore, we fight way too much. But he is more than a dad to me than my real parents." She explained. I couldn't have felt more understanding. I loved my parents a lot- both of them; but Tig was like a second dad and mom at the same time when my real family wasn't around.

"Wow," said a man's voice behind me. "And the truth comes pouring out."

"Tig!" I exclaimed. He was standing right there in my room. "How did you get in?"

"You forgot to lock the door and I checked to see who you were talking too. I thought some obsessed fan had broken in or something." He replied. "It wouldn't be the first time that's happened."

Damn, I forgot we had conjoining suites. Kayla looked a little surprised and a lot embarrassed. "Tig, I'm sorry." She said.

He stood there seriously for a moment, before a smile spread across his face. "I can't stay mad at you!" he said.

Her relieved expression lasted for about a second and a half before it was replaced with a mischievous grin. "I knew you couldn't." she said as she ran her fingers through her long straight black hair.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you want to do this?" Freddy asked me. "Theses decisions tend to be permanent." We were at a random tattoo shop in Germany. I had been thinking of getting a tattoo for a while, and I asked Kayla and Freddy to come with me.<p>

Kayla stared at him. "Are you trying to scare her? What's your problem, dude. You're being a total buzz-kill."

He laughed. "No, I'm not trying to scare anyone. I love tattoos." He pointed to the flame on his wrist. The flame was the 'N Sync logo. Underneath it, he had a red rope which stood for fame and a celebrity lifestyle. All the members of 'N Sync had the tattoo except JC. The second 'N Sync tattoo the group got depicts a marionette - also wreathed in flame, and wrapped up in the red ropes, as a motif. 'N Syncs _No Strings Attached_ album also has a puppet theme.

Kayla laughed. "Look at the TV!" she said as she pointed to the flat screen on the wall. On the screen was my latest music video for my third single of my album, _Stronger. _I was dressed in all black and was dancing on a moving chair. The camera zoomed in on my tight abs to reveal my new belly-button piercing I had just gotten two days before the video shoot.

_Hush, just stop_

_There's nothing you can do or say, baby_

_I've had enough_

_I'm not your property as from today, baby_

_You might, think that I won't make it_

_But you're wrong_

'_Cause now I'm stronger, than yesterday_

_Now it's nothing but my way_

_My loneliness ain't killing me no more_

_I'm stronger!_

The video was probably the most edgy thing in my career yet. "The Germans love you!" Freddy laughed.

"So, international pop princess, what are you getting today?" Kayla asked.

"Well I was thinking Mickey Mouse ears on my left hip, but low enough so you can't really see it. Or maybe a butterfly on my lower back…" I really should have thought this through before.

"Why not do both?" Freddy offered.

"Now that's the spirit!" Kayla squealed.

"What the hell?" I said. "Let's do it." Oh, my mom is going to be so pleased about this.

* * *

><p>"What the fuck is that?" Steve practically screamed when I showed him my new tattoo. We were back in Los Angeles because the tour was finally over.<p>

"It's just a butterfly, no big deal." I hadn't even showed him Mickey yet.

"Oh yes it is! What kind of teen virgin has a tattoo like that?" he yelled.

"Steve calm down," Tig said. "I think its fine. It's black and it's hardly noticeable."

"She didn't even come to us before doing this!" Steve said to Tig.

I was frustrated. "Do I have to? I'm almost nineteen. I'm an adult. I can do whatever I want." I cringed on how much I sounded like Kayla. But seriously, I hadn't done anything wrong. Kayla was irresponsible sometimes, but this was just ridiculous.

"Wonder, don't worry about it." Tig said, trying to calm the situation.

"I can't deal with this right now." Steve ranted as he lit a joint. "You have somewhere to be, don't you? Go, I'll be here running your whole life while you're gone."

I rolled my eyes. It's funny how Kayla thought Tig was crazy and controlling because next to Steve, he looked like the most easy-going person ever.

"Don't let him bother you, babe." Freddy told me when we got to the recording studio. "Forget about it, just relax."

* * *

><p>I took a deep breath. Freddy was right, I needed to relax. "I have to admit, I've been a little… tense. I'll try to not be so much of a nightmare."<p>

Freddy rolled his eyes. "No way, you make it more like a dream."

I smiled all giddy-like. "Make sure that you make me sound good on record." I told him. On tour Freddy, my choreographer Wade Robson, and I had written a song called _What It's like to Be Me _and with Freddy's genius musical mind, he told me he would even produce the track for my upcoming album. I was kind of nervous to be working like this with Freddy. It's not like I couldn't take constructive criticism, but I wasn't used to having such a personal relationship with a producer.

The song was pretty much about standing your ground and not letting anyone tell you that you are something you're not. I could really relate because standing my ground was something I really had in mind to do (especially with Steve) I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

"As if you could sound bad," he laughed, "So, when do I get to see your new place?" he asked.

Because I'm no longer on tour, I decided to buy myself a house for my nineteenth birthday. "You can come whenever! I'm still living at Trina's house until I get it renovated and stuff but you can still come." I chewed on my pinky nail.

"Are you nervous?" He asked me.

I sighed. "You know, I'm still afraid of the dark. I don't have a license. I've never lived on my own before." In other words- yes, I'm extremely nervous.

"Wonder, you've been responsible for yourself since you were sixteen." He tried to comfort me. "You will still be working; you'll still be on the road. Nothing has changed." He said. "You will still have me. I live only ten minutes away."

"Ten minutes to you. About an hour for somebody like me, who has to walk." I joked. I really needed to get my license.

"When we get married, where do you wanna buy a house? I know you like Malibu… or maybe we could go back to New York?" he pondered.

I smiled. "I love Japan. I've been there on my first tour, but I didn't get to see much." I remembered. "It would be awesome to go back and live there for a while."

"Tokyo is amazing." Freddy agreed. "So many choices, so little time."

I was having a lot of fun imagining what it would be like to marry Freddy and live in all these amazing places. "We would need a huge house. Our kids will need a lot of room to run around…"

"Well, how many are we going to have?" he asked.

"I don't know…" it wasn't something I had really thought about. I think of myself as still too young for children, but something about being with Freddy made me want to speed up time. "Maybe two or three, I guess. I really want a son."

"One of them has to be Freddy Jr."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever!" I laughed. "I wonder if they will be musical…"

"Of course." He said. "This reminds me… I need to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" I asked.

"After promoting _Celebrity, _the guys and I have decided to… take a break." He told me. _Celebrity _was the album just recently released by 'N Sync.

"The guys, as in 'N Sync? Why?"

"It just seems right. We all have different things on our minds. It may not be permanent though," he explained. "I was thinking of making a solo album, but I wanted to know how you felt about it."

Freddy was too amazing. He wanted to know how I felt about him making an album! "You sing, dance, and produce. Freddy, you have more than what it takes."

He smiled, "What are in the plans for you, though? I mean I know your career is kinda in the forward of your mind. You wouldn't mind if I did this? I don't think it would affect our relationship."

"No! Do it. This is an amazing opportunity for you." I told him sincerely. "Even Trina said that Destiny's Child is taking a break. I wouldn't be surprised if she decided to put out a solo album too." I said.

"Yeah, I'm going to do it." Freddy decided. Well say hello to solo-careers, and goodbye to the era of 'little boy and girl groups'.

The door to the studio opened and in came my tour choreographer Wade Robson. He was about 5'10 with curly blonde hair, a nice tan, and dance moves that make you want to dance without music. "Are we ready to get started in here?" he asked.

"Wade, my man!" Freddy fist bumped with his good friend. On tour, Wade had gotten close with the guys of 'N Sync. It was an unexpected bond, but I'm glad it happened. An amazing song had came out of our friendships.

"The gorgeous Wonder, nice to see you!" Wade said as he hugged me.

"Alright, I've got some sick beats for this laid down on the track already." Freddy informed us. "Listen to this." He played the track containing pop elements and Freddy's background vocals.

_Walk a mile in my shoes  
>Do me right or I'm through<br>Can't you see that  
>If you wanna stay around (I'm telling you)<br>You've got to figure me out  
>Take your time or you lose<br>This is my game, my rules  
>And I can see, obviously,<br>Baby You don't know  
>What It's like to be me<em>

"So what do you think?" he asked once the song was over.

"I can't wait to start recording that." I told him. "You're so good at this!" I imagined what it would be like to work with Freddy even more in the future. We share almost everything together, why not music? We could write more songs, we could even record an album. I smiled at the thought as I put my arm around his waist.

"Hell yeah!" Wade exclaimed. "Wonder, we need to record this pronto. As soon as it's done I'm going to choreograph a dance for this. The beats are perfect." He said with excitement. I loved Wade's passion for dance. It was like no other.

"Oh yeah," I said. "When I go on tour, we are definitely adding this to the set list." Not to get ahead of myself.

* * *

><p>"Well, here we are." I announced as Freddy drove up to my parent's lanky-dank home in Devonport. It was always a shitty house, but even compared to the luxury suites I stayed at in hotels this house seemed small.<p>

"It's not that bad. You made it sound so much worse." He replied. Of course, he didn't realize how much renovation I had paid for since making it big time.

Charles pulled up behind us (yes, my little brother can drive before me) in his navy-blue pick-up truck. "Waddup Porter?" Charles asked as he lit a cigarette.

"Nice to see you buddy." Freddy patted him on the back.

"Zoe's inside. She's been really excited to see you." Charles told me. Zoe had just recently come home from L.A after shooting season two of the Nickelodeon show _All That. _In perfect timing too, as school was going to start up again soon. While shooting, I even came to guest star in one episode.

Freddy followed me inside my house. "Hey big sis'" Zoe hugged me and Freddy.

"You look just like Wonder, its crazy." Freddy told her. I cocked my head. She had long beach-blond hair, blue eyes, and her 13-year-old boobs were already big and perky. Oh yes, she definitely got the family traits. It was weird how even though we were Hispanic on my dad's side, we hardly showed it. Despite his background, my dad was as pale as could be. The only traces of Latina in my appearance were my full lips and large butt. My mom had blue eyes and brown hair, but it was much lighter when she was younger, which would explain our blonde hair.

"So I've been told by everyone I've ever met." She chuckled. "That's alright though; people only ever have nice things to say about Wonder." Occasionally, I felt kind of bad about the situation I left Zoe in. I loved her to death, but I couldn't imagine what it would be like to live her life in the "shadows" of my fame. Because I know what it's like to have a dream, I couldn't do anything but encourage Zoe to go after her acting career. But at the same time, I was scared for her.

"So, what's it like going to school and being a huge child-network star at the same time?" Freddy wondered. As far as the child-network thing, Freddy and I both had that down on B-Kidz, but we were homeschooled on set, which meant no exposure to "real" kids.

"Oh, well I still have my same friends," she smiled. "I don't really go to all the award shows and stuff that you guys go to, so you know, I'm really not that different from all the other kids." I smiled. Good, Zoe should be able to have the best of both worlds.

"Hey Freddy," my dad called when he walked into the room. "Would you mind helping me lift a couple of boxes?" The whole reason Freddy and I had made the trip to my old home was to bring my belongings back to L.A. Now that I had my own house there, it was time to start the moving process.

"No problem, Mr. Blake." Freddy replied.

"I loved your performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last week." Zoe complimented as she handed me a stack of newspapers and magazines with my face on the cover. "It was so awesomely over the top! Everyone's talking about it."

"So I've heard." I replied as I flipped through the pictures. On the cover of one of the magazines it read "_Oop! This pop diva is not that innocent!"_ (Referring to the lyrics in my song) and another wrote "_Wonder Blake sets a mile stone when her sexy innocence becomes… well not that innocent."_

I laughed, but I was a little embarrassed. The performance started off with me singing a cover of the Rolling Stones' song _I Can't Get No Satisfaction_ in a rotating tower. I wore a black suit with my hair up inside a hat. Once I came down stairs to finish the song, I stripped off the suit to reveal skin-colored pants and bra covered in a thousand real Swarovski diamonds and I threw off my hat to let my blonde hair flow loose. I then continued to perform an intense dance routine while singing my song …Oops! I Did it Again inside a rotating orb with fire surrounding the stage.

I knew the performance was over-the-top-sexy and I knew the outfit would be considered revealing since it looked see-through. Still, I couldn't help but feel surprised and embarrassed when the media refers to me as sexy. I'm an eighteen year old (almost nineteen) who likes to have fun and dance. I pick out revealing clothes and I do sexy things (maybe even have sex from time to time), but I was _not _trying to be a sex symbol. I'm just trying to be me.

"Where did Charles run off to?" I asked Zoe.

"Henry and Katie's I think. He actually went to go help them move a couple things also."

"Oh," I said. I hadn't forgotten about Henry and Katie, in fact, I was looking forward to seeing them. "I'm going to go over there."

"Wonder!" Henry engulfed me in his muscular arms once I walked over to his house. "I've missed you."

"Same here," I told him. "Come to dinner tonight! I want you to meet Freddy. My mom is cooking."

He smiled. "Sure, I'll stop by." He said as he continued to assist Charles with lifting boxes. Damn, he had gotten manly.

"Wonder, come inside." Katie pulled me. "They are boring anyways."

I walked in to Katie's room only to find that most of it was boxed up also. "Are you moving or something?" I asked her.

She giggled. "Yeah, Henry and I are. College starts this fall." She answered.

Oh, college. I was familiar with it, but it sounded like something people did in other countries or traditions. In my world, college was barely existent (except for the rare few like Dean Marconi). "Oh, right. I totally forgot about that." Katie had told me when she got accepted, although I don't remember where she was going. Somewhere in Massachusetts I guess. What I did remember is that Henry got in to Stanford, now that was a big deal. "What about your boyfriend…" shit, what was his name? "Did you break up?" I asked her.

"Oh yeah, just last week!" she laughed, although I didn't see what was so funny about that. "Can you believe it? The asshole was cheating on me. Whatever, I was going to break up with him anyways."

"That's horrible…"

"Anyways, what about you?" she asked. "You and Freddy seem to be pretty serious." I was surprised on how casually she said that. Katie had always been the type to drool over someone semi-famous. Now here she was, asking me about Freddy in a strictly girl-talk manner.

"Yeah we are." I said honestly.

She flipped back her curly blonde hair and looked at me intensely. "How serious? Like how you and that guy Jorge were or more?"

"More, definitely." Jorge was my first love and I would never forget him, but Freddy was… different. We had already been dating about two years and we just connected so well.

"Oh yeah?" she said. "You have that 'I'm so in love' look in your eyes."

"I am." I admitted, "Katie, I think he's… _the one_."

Her jaw dropped. "No way!" she said excitedly. "Are you for real?"

"We've talked about stuff. Like marriage and kids." I told her. "We want to get married, but like, obviously not right now. I have my career and he has his. But, you know, it's perfect because we are both doing the same thing. Like, I understand his career, I understand him." I rambled. It was true; I wanted Freddy to be _the person_ in my life.

"Oh my god, oh my god!" she almost screamed. "Wonder, what the fuck? You are so in love, it's not fair. Why can't I have that?"

"I guess I'm just a lucky one…"

"You guys are too perfect for each other. I mean, you both came in on the Top Ten List on Forbes Best Dressed!" She squealed. I rolled my eyes. Some habits just die hard.

* * *

><p>"You're doing really well. You should get your license in no time." My dad told me as we practiced driving in his old beat-up car. I was just surprised the thing actually ran.<p>

I turned over to look at him. "Thanks, you know it weird that I've never tried to learn before-"_Bam! _I first heard a loud noise, and then I felt the vibration. _Shit_, I hit our mailbox.

"Sorry!" I squealed.

"Wonder, please be more cautious when you drive on the main roads." He lectured as he got out of the car to check the damage. I followed. There was a huge dent right in between his headlights. He sighed. "That car's time was about up anyways…"

"I'll buy you a new one!"

He looked at me strangely. "I don't want my daughter to buy me things."

"Dad!" I rolled my eyes. "It's not like I can't afford it. Let me do this, please." My dad has been at home since Lucky died. He was working on a novel that he said "would make us millionaires". I'm not sure how the book was going for him, I haven't read a page of it (and apparently neither has anybody else). If my dad really wanted too, I could get his book published quite easily. My mom and I have already published one book called _Heart-to-Heart with Wonder Blake _and we are almost done with another called _A Mother's Gift. _It was a fictional story about the relationship between a teenage girl and her mother and how they don't have enough money to send her to a school of the arts, even though she is musically talented. Honestly, the plot of the story was my completely my mom's idea; she was good with stuff like that, I on the other hand, was much better at writing song lyrics. Somehow, I think everyone in our family knew that my dad was never going to finish his book. We all fell apart after Lucky died; my mom quit her law firm. Only now was she finally moving on with her life. My dad hasn't yet.

My dad smiled at me in a melancholy way. "You really are grown-up. My little girl is finally going to drive!"

"Imagine how grown up you would have thought I was at sixteen if I started driving then!" I joked.

"Really, though. That's when it all started." My dad commented. "You were sixteen, making a career for yourself. You grew up very fast. You never even got to go to prom like the rest of the high school kids…" Oh contraire, daddy. But I didn't even bother to fill him in on my prom horrors. "I don't know if I've ever told you this, but I am very proud of you. We all are. You stood up when the rest of us just laid around like couch potatoes."

"You weren't couch potatoes…"

"Oh yes, we were. And I know that I haven't always been the best father, and I am terribly sorry for that." He said, the outside of his eyes getting puffy. "And I realize now that you're buying your own home that soon I'm going to be walking you down the aisle, maybe I'll even be a grandfather one day..."

I inhaled. Whoa, this all seemed so _fast._ I wanted it though, I wasn't sure if I was ready, but I wanted to walk down the aisle and have children- even if they do turn out to be megastars as well. "Dad, give me time please." I joked.

"What do you see in your future, Wonder. Do you see Freddy?" he asked me seriously. "The two of you… have been getting kind of serious."

I stared at him. My dad never really asked me about the guys I dated. He liked Jorge, but he wasn't really the type to push for details.

"Yeah, I do." I told him as I smiled. "He's a really great guy."

He smiled too. "He always has been. Even when you were kids; I liked him way better than that Dean boy…" he said. I laughed. Oh, the irony.

"So you approve?" I asked.

He shook his head and laughed. "Yes. Yes, I approve."

* * *

><p>"Uh-oh, no way." My mother said.<p>

"What's wrong with it?" I asked.

"It's a porno!" she yelled. I had just shown my mom the music video for my last single of the record called _Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know_. It was a pop-ballad about a girl longing for her boyfriend to tell her he loves her. It was my favorite song on the album, and I wrote it with Shania Twain.

"I'm not sure if I like it, either." Freddy commented. I looked at him. Why wouldn't he like it? Sure, it was a little bit sexual, but was that a problem? It took place on a beach where my love interest and I run around in the water and share a few kisses by the bonfire. It was extremely romantic- and lustful- but it was nothing to over the top. Freddy told me he thought my "controversial" performance at the VMA'S was creative. Why wouldn't he like this?

"I'm wearing a bikini. So what? It's not like a big deal." I complained.

"I just don't like all the touching and kissing." She stated.

"Me either," Freddy chirped in. "Not with some random guy." Oh, so _that's _what this is about.

My mom looked back and forth to both of us. "I need to go help Charlie with a few things." She made up. "Um, we will be talking about this later." She told me.

I waited until she left before talking to Freddy. "Are you upset?" I asked him.

He sighed. "No, I'm not upset. I'm just a jealous boyfriend."

My heart melted. Sure, jealousy wasn't fun- but it sure was cute. "You have nothing to be jealous about. You are the only one I look at."

"I know, I know." he smiled. "I get it, I do music videos too. I'll try not to be that way."

"Thank you so much for being so understanding." I told him. "You're great."

"You better go talk to your mom. She's the one you have to be worried about." He pointed out the door.

I rolled my eyes. "Okay, be right back." I planned on finding my mom, but stopped when I saw my brother going into his room. "Mind if I come in?" I asked him.

"I don't care." He replied as he took a swig of _Monster_ energy drink.

"So, um, school's starting up soon. Are you excited?" I asked in attempt to socialize.

"Not particularly. So you have an album you're working on. Are you excited?" he asked before wiping his brown skater-style hair out of his eyes.

"Yeah, it's still teen-pop but it's more personal I think. I'm going for a little bit more mature sound. I was more involved. It's really cool; I think you'll like it."

"Yeah, I'm glad this fame thing is working out for you." he said. I was surprised. Charles was always supportive, but never overly-excited about my career.

"Me too." I told him. "I feel… accomplished." I mumbled with lack of a better word. Honestly, fame had hardly hit me. The concept was hard to wrap my head around. I still thought of myself as plain old Wonder, even after all this time.

"I can't believe Zoe got into all this stuff to. You know, now that she's acting and all. Nickelodeon asked her to audition to get her own show, did you know that?" Charles mentioned.

"No, she didn't tell me. That's great!" I exclaimed. "Lucky and I always were made for the spotlight. I guess it's not a surprise Zoe wants it too."

Charles smiled. "You all are alike, I guess."

"What happened to you?" I asked him. "Why aren't you trying to be famous?" I asked only half-kidding.

"Fame? Me? No way." He smiled. "No fucking way."

"Why not?" I asked. It was kind of weird. Lucky was on B-Kidz back in the day, and the whole world knew Zoe as my adorable little sister on Nickelodeon. Everyone expects Zoe to follow in my foot-steps. But Charles, people hardly ever hear about him. He didn't want to be heard. "Do you know what you want to be after you graduate and stuff?"

"I kind of want to be behind the lens, you know? Like, a director. I shot a music video for a local girl band just last week. It was fucking awesome." He told me.

Oh god, where have I been. How could I have not known that my brother was into directing? He was made for the business, after all! He just didn't want to be in the spotlight. "That is so cool!" I exclaimed. "You know Kayla co-directed one of my music video. Maybe you could work with her!" I offered.

He smirked. "Kayla?" he laughed. "No thanks."

"Why not?" I pouted.

"Well, there are several reasons." He said. "But mainly, she's just way too main stream. I told you, I don't want to be famous."

I crinkled my brow. "Hmm, okay." I just didn't make sense to me. Fame was extremely hard, but it was worth it. Wasn't it?

Later that day, I confronted my mom about my music video. She sighed, "What would people say about me when they see it, Wonder? They will think I am a horrible mother."

"Mom, what were you doing when you were eighteen?" I asked her.

She sighed again. "I was married to your father."

"Oh, so you mean that your mom wasn't there telling you what to do and wear all the time?" I asked innocently.

She laughed ironically. "Okay, okay I get it. You can do what you want. I would just feel a little more comfortable if you had it edited a little bit."

"Alright mom, but please understand that I can't ask you for permission every time I change my clothes. I love you mom, but I can take care of myself." I explained as gently as I could. I was way too overprotected.

"I don't mean to suffocate you, honey. I really don't. And just between me and you, I think you looked like a sexy mama in that video." She joked.

I laughed. My mom just called me a sexy mama. "Didn't I? The director did a great job with the lighting!"

"Oh, my little girl!" she patted my hair. "Okay, go on and pack your things. You have a mansion calling your name back in L.A" she smiled. I took a look around my mom's crappy house. I doubt that I would miss this place, but it was kind of sad to say goodbye to any ounce of _small-town girl_ I had left. _If_ I had any left.


	14. Slave 4 U

"Wonder, babe, you might want to cut down on the cookies. You look hot now, but we wouldn't want America's favorite pop star to get a little chubby!" Steve pointed out to me as I stuffed my face with chocolate chips cookies. I rolled my eyes. It was about eight o'clock in the morning and I was already out and about. Obviously I needed something to keep me energized, and sugar always did the trick.

"Sorry…" I mumbled as I put down the cookie.

"Honey, the cookies are there for you. Have as many as you like," said the receptionist with red hair before she left the room. I was back in New York City with Tig and Steve at the main office for MTV Films. Why, exactly, was I here, was still a mystery to me. All I know is that Kayla's new manager called Tig and the next day I'm on a plane to New York.

"Wonder, Tig, Steve!" exclaimed a very big man in a suit who walked in the room. "Nice seeing you all again!" he shook my managers hands and kissed me on the cheek. I don't recall ever meeting him before, but I went along with it anyways. "So how do you like my new office? It's pretty nice isn't it?" he asked.

Pretty nice was an understatement. The room was huge. It had a monster sized flat screen covering one wall and another was completely glass, giving a perfect view to the Twin Towers. Best of all, it was stocked with chocolate chip cookies. "It's great." I complimented.

"Oh yeah," he responded, "It's sound proof too! In a city that never sleeps it's nice to get some quiet while I'm trying to work."

After a moment of friendly banter, Tig finally got to the point. "So Mr. Clad, I realize that my former client Kayla is working on a new film here at MTV Films, but what exactly are your interests with Wonder?"

"Ah!" he clapped his hands. "Kayla requested we have Wonder here sing the lead track for the film's soundtrack. As a business man, I couldn't help but think that was an excellent idea seeing how Wonder here_ is_ practically MTV's main source of income." He laughed but I think he was only half-joking. "So what do you say, would you be interested?"

"But if Kayla is the star of the movie… wouldn't she want to sing the leading track? I mean, she is a bestselling musician as well…" I commented. Steve nudged me and gave me the death stare.

Mr. Clad cleared his throat before responding. "Well originally that was what Kayla had planned… but some of our supervisors… um… insisted that you be given the job instead. Kayla gets the whole movie! She really doesn't need that much exposure anyways…"

I was astonished. This was supposed to be Kayla's movie, not mine. I'm sure she wouldn't like it if I took this opportunity from her. "I'm not sure if I can take you up on your offer…" I began.

Steve interrupted me "She'll definitely think about it."

Tig looked between us two as if we were toddlers getting in a fight over spilt milk. "Now hold on a second, Wonder. What are you thinking here?" Tig asked me.

I sighed. "I would have to talk to Kayla before I make any more decisions." I answered. "Honestly, I don't know if turning down your offer will make any difference, but I think Kayla should sing the lead song off of the soundtrack. It just seems right…"

"Wonder, that's crazy!" Steve murmured quietly but harshly.

Mr. Clad went silent for a moment before continuing. "Alright then, take as much time as you need- well not too long, the movie only has a couple months before it premieres… There is another thing I would like to address while we all are here," he stated.

"Yes," Tig prompted.

"MTV Films would like to know if you were interested in starring in your own film. Of course, this is just a suggestion; we don't have any contracts made up or anything like that. But just know that if you were interested, we could jump right on the idea." Mr. Clad offered.

It took me a moment to process what he had said. "What kind of movie?" I asked.

"Well, like I said, we don't have anything particular in mind. But we would be happy to send you scripts if you would like."

I looked at Tig with a look that said _sign me up!_ "Yes" Tig began. "If you could have people from the studio send scripts to me, Wonder and I will surely think it over." He smiled.

"Well, then, I think that's the end to our business for the day," Mr. Clad stood up. "Thank you all for meeting me today." He shook all of our hands formally.

That's when it happened. I don't know how long it took me to process what I was seeing, or if I even processed it at all. But before I realized what I was doing, I was screaming at the top of my lungs.

"Look!" I pointed out the glass window incoherently.

"Holy shit!" Steve yelled at the precise moment the explosions started. It was very far away from where we were standing, yet I could see it perfectly. A plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers.

"Come on," I heard another voice shout. It was Karl, who I had forgotten was standing in the corner of the room the whole time. "We need to leave- now."

The travel down the stairs and out the door of the building was a blur, but once I was outside I couldn't have been more awake. " Oh my god!" people screamed on the streets, pointing to the disaster that had just occurred. It took the surrounding people about ten seconds to realize I was there. When they did I swarmed with people asking questions.

"Wonder, Wonder!" yelled the people on the streets. "What just happened up there?" someone asked me. As if I had the slightest idea.

"Get out of the way." Karl pushed. But he was only one man; as big as he was, there was no way he could fight off this crowd. _Move. _I thought in my head. Why were people surrounding me when something this terrifying had just happened?

"Where are we going?" I asked Karl. "Where did Tig and Steve go?"

"To find somewhere isolated and safe," He replied completely calm. We had gotten here in a Taxi and we hadn't called one to pick us up, as we were obviously not expecting such a rapid exit. Karl led me into a nearby Starbucks. Conveniently, the shop owner locked the door after I got inside to prevent the crowd of people from following me in.

"I'll call you a cab." The man told us after speaking with Karl.

"Wow, what an accident." Karl commented once I was settled down with a Double Chocately Chip Frappucinno in my hand.

"It didn't really look like an accident," I replied, knowing how crazy I sounded. "That was just unbelievable." I sat watching the new replay the clip over and over. How did they get that footage? Drinking a Frappuccino (which was my favorite snack in the world) was oddly comforting a moment like this. It seemed to be the only thing to keep me calm until the town car came to pick us up.

"Where to?" asked the driver as Karl and I got in (Steve and Tig had gone off in another car).

It took less than a heartbeat for me to respond. Before I knew what I was saying told the driver the address of the place in New York City I knew I would feel comfort. It was Freddy's apartment.

* * *

><p>"What happened yesterday was a terrorist attack." Steve informed us the next day. "But that doesn't change anything. Our schedules are busy and we have a lot of work to do." <em>Wow<em>, I thought. _Not even a national disaster could get me a day off. _I was still a little bit shaky about the whole thing, but Steve did have a point. I could worry all I wanted, but I still had a job to do. Still, I couldn't get the image of the burning building out of my head. I shuddered.

"We better get moving." Tig said in a dull voice. He was definitely affected by the situation more than Steve. But then again, Steve has yet to show any sort of sympathy for anything. "Do you have all your things? We aren't coming back."

I looked around my suite to make sure I didn't forget to pack something. We were staying at Waldorf Hotel. Staying at Freddy's apartment seemed like I good idea at first, but then I realized he was back at his house in L.A and I didn't have a key. It was a bummer because there was nothing I wanted more than to be in Freddy's arms right now. "Let's go," I told them.

When we got to the Pop Life Records recording studio in Manhattan I was in for a serious surprise. "OMG you are even hotter in person!" yelled a man's voice. It was none other than Ricky Martin, the Latin heart throb pop star that every girl had a crush on even though he was totally gay (not that he'd ever admit it). He was super tan, super ripped, and drop-dead gorgeous.

"Omigosh!" I smiled. "Nice to meet you," I hugged him. Ricky Martin's people and my people had been talking for a long while about the two of us doing a song together. The duet was actually why I was here in the recording studio today. "I've never done a duet before so correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought normally we would record separately and then the song would be edited. I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Oh no way!" he spoke in his Spanish accent. "I don't work that way. We have to work together. It's the only way we will get the correct… chemistry!" he brought the tips of his fingers to his mouth and kissed them.

"I'm glad." I told him. "I feel the same way."

The song we recorded together was titled _Nobody Wants To Be Lonely. _It was yet another cheesy pop love song. This time about two people who are dying to be in love but can't seem to let their walls down enough to be vulnerable. It's definitely going to a mega hit.

_Nobody wants to be lonely_

_Nobody wants to cry_

_My body is longing to hold you_

_So bad it hurts inside_

_Time is precious and it's slipping away_

_And I've been waiting for you all of my life_

_Nobody wants to be lonely_

_So why don't you let me love you?_

We both sang together in the studio. Ricky stopped after the chorus. "You have some serious wind pipes."

"Thank you." I blushed. People complimented me on my voice all my life, but it wasn't every day I heard it from an international Latin pop star.

"I'm serious." He told me. "That's why I asked you to do this song for me for my next record. You're the only pop star around with any real talent these days." He explained. "My manager and I agreed you were a much better choice than that tone-deaf Kayla. But I'm afraid I might have been wrong."

I cringed. Kayla sounded a lot better in a studio than on stage, she didn't make up her own dance moves, or write her songs…but hey, it's no big deal. Image was all that mattered to her fans, and if she didn't mind her career being that way, then I wouldn't care either. I just liked to do things a little bit different than her when it came to music. Maybe she would be a better actress than musician. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, it's just that your voice is going to overpower mine. I don't think my ego can handle that." He joked.

"Oh well I can sing lower…" I offered.

He laughed again. "No, no your singing is absolutely perfect girlfriend."

"Aw, thank you." I smiled.

"I can hardly believe this. Your rich, famous, beautiful, talented… yet your still nice." He muttered. "I've never seen anything like it. I mean, I can be a total bitch at times too, and I'm not half as famous as you." he winked. I smiled back at him. Ricky Martin was definitely my new favorite gay pop star.

* * *

><p>"Wonder, meet your new bodyguards," cheered Felicia, who was sitting in the living room of my finally unpacked L.A home. "This is Robert and Tony." She introduced them.<p>

They were both huge (as big as Karl), black, and very intimidating. "Nice to meet you both." I shook their hands. "I feel safer already."

"Trust me," spoke Robert, in a very deep voice. "Karl already went over everything with us. No harm will ever come in your way again."

Karl, who was sitting on my couch, shook his head in approval. "Oh yeah," he said. "These guys already know the drill. There's not going to be one terrorist who's going to lay a hand on you."

I laughed. Ever since the terrorist attacked that happened on September 11th my entire management team, especially Felicia, had been going on about how I need more protection. As if the terrorist attacks had anything to do with me. They were _so overprotective. _Still, they definitely had a point. Everywhere I went there were crowds of people trying to get close to me and even though most were just harmless fans, things tended to get crazy.

"One of them will stay in the guest house at all times when you're here." Felicia informed me. "We don't need anyone else trying to break in."

Since moving into my new home about two weeks ago, five people had already attempted at breaking through my gate, but luckily I had security guards at the gate house to prevent them from coming in. Still, it felt good to have someone close by in the guest house attached to the side of my home.

"Thank you both." I told them before I left. "It was great meeting you."

After they left Felicia got into the passenger side of my new BMW convertible. I was excited to be behind the wheel until I almost backed into my garage. "Oh crap!" I laughed. "Sorry!"

Felicia brushed her brown hair out of her face, looking genuinely frightened. "I'm not so sure I should be letting you drive." She laughed. This was the first time she had been in the car with me since I got my license.

"You'll be fine!" I laughed. "MTV sent me all sorts of scripts I can choose from." I told her. "They really want me to do a movie."

"Well are you going to do it? Do you like any of them?" she asked wide eyed.

I sighed. "No… they are just so… typical. I got like ten scripts about being a pop star, ten more about me playing a famous movie star. I really don't want people to think I'm trying to make some kind of autobiography. I don't want it to be about fame. I don't like the scary movies they sent me. There is no way in hell I'm going to do be in an action movie. None of them are me." I told her honestly.

"Alright well, what did you have in mind? What kinds of movies do you like?" she asked me. I smiled. Felicia always cared about what I wanted.

"You know, like girly movies. I love chick flicks." I laughed.

"Well why don't you make your own idea and then give it to the producers. I'm sure they wouldn't have a problem with that."

"Hmm," I thought about it. "That's not a bad idea." Just then I heard one of my favorite songs come on the radio. I turned it up loud.

"Ooh, I love this song!" Felicia giggled. I swear she was like a teenage girl in a thirty-five-year-olds body.

I laughed and sang along to the song. _"__I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away. I don't know where my soul is, I don't know where my home is (and baby all I need for you to know is) I'm like a bird, I'll only fly away I don't know where my soul is. I don't know where my home is, all I need for you to know is…" _I was so into my own little world that I didn't even notice there was someone trying to talk to me in the car pulled up beside me. "Huh?" I asked as I turned down the music.

"Hi!" said a random woman I had never seen before. She had her window rolled down and she was bent across the chair so she could put her head out the window.

"Hi," I replied, slightly confused by the situation.

"Can I take a picture of you?" the woman asked.

"Take a picture?" I laughed. I was so confused. _Why would she want to take a picture of me_, I thought. And then it dawned on me. Oh, I was Wonder Blake. I was an international pop star. "We're driving girl!" I smiled, looking around to make sure we weren't holding up traffic. "Sure, you can take a picture." I offered.

"Aw, thank you." the woman said as she took out her camera. "My son is never going to believe this. He just loves you."

"No problem!" I assured her after I smiled for the camera. "Have a good day." I told her as I drove away. "That was so weird." I told Felicia. "Stuff like that happens to me all the time, but it's still weird."

"When she was talking to you at first, you turned down the music and you were like 'huh'" Felicia imitated me in a loud, obnoxious voice as she giggled.

"Don't make fun of me!" I laughed along with her. "She must have thought I was, like, mentally slow or something. I just forget, you know?"

"No, I get it." Felicia assured me. "Just next time we'll have to put the roof up." She pointed to the non-existent top of my convertible.

I sighed. "Well this sucks…" I commented as I pressed the button bringing the roof over my head. So much for having free space and fresh air to breathe...

When Felicia and I stepped out of my car, we were greeted by hundreds of eyes staring at us through the windows of the building in front of us. "Aw, look how excited they are to see you." Felicia pointed.

I smiled. This past year I had created the Wonder Blake Foundation. The main focus of the company was to run a summer camp for under privileged children with amazing talents that couldn't afford to pursue their dreams on their own. This year was the first time the camp had been open, and I was extremely excited to see the show that the children attending had planned for me.

"Wonder, how are you doing beautiful?" Wade Robinson asked me when I entered the camp's main building.

"I'm amazing! How has the camp been?" I asked him. Because I wanted the kids in my camp to have the best experience possible, I hired the same professionals I work with to work at the camp. Wade Robinson, being the best choreographer for the job, was the first person I hired to help choreograph dance moves with the children.

"Oh they are amazing! Really talented." He told me. "But they are just so excited to see you today. I think everyone's a little nervous."

After watching the musical the kids put on for me and their parents (which was extraordinary, I might add) I sat down to meet the kids one on one and sign autographs. It was a very personal moment for, considering that I used to be just like them: desperate to perform and entertain. Meeting fans is always kind of awkward. Some of the kids were afraid to talk to me, and others started to bawl their eyes out. Meeting fans was always like this, you could never expect what they were going to do. Most of all, I didn't understand why they got this way. I mean, it's just me. It's not as if I was Madonna or something…

A great part about the camp was that no press or paparazzi was allowed in to make the kids more nervous than they already were. The only cameras here were from MTV who was following me around all month for a TV special on MTV Diary's, but they weren't even allowed to film the kid's performance. The day was perfect and really refreshing. It felt really good to give back to the fans after everything they've given me.

The rest of my week consisted of normal pre-promotion stuff. I went to try-outs with Wade to choose talented dancers for my next music video and tour. I went to the studio to record more for my next album. And almost most important, I signed a deal with Pepsi-Cola that was worth 100 million dollars. The terms were endless, but nothing I couldn't handle. I film multiple commercials for Pepsi. I promote them in any way I can. I drink their soda in front of cameras. I do NOT drink Coke- ever (which is fine since I prefer Pepsi anyways). And they sponsor my next tour. It's great actually, and a simple way for me to earn a whole lot of cash.

"With that much cash, you could buy a whole world a Pepsi." Kayla told me after I signed the deal. We were at a huge charity event in Los Angeles; anyone who was anyone was there. The awesome part, it was for _my_ charity: The Wonder Blake Foundation.

"I don't have to buy it anymore," I admitted sheepishly. "Pepsi gave me a soda machine for my home, with unlimited stocking."

"I hope you're still allowed to hang out with me, you know since we are arch enemies and all." Kayla joked. Kayla had recently signed a deal with Coca-Cola, but unfortunately, it wasn't worth half of what mine is worth. Ever since word got out about our deal, the press has declared "War of The Soda-Pop Stars". It was actually quite ridiculous, but Kayla and I got a kick out of it. We were practically best friends, yet the media always considers us rivals.

"We can sneak around," I laughed.

"Who's sneaking around?" Freddy asked as he came up behind us. "I hope you're not cheating on me," he joked.

"Never!" I laughed as I gave him a kiss on the cheek. Behind Freddy was Wade, who greeted Kayla and me with hugs.

"You ready to show Freddy the new video?" Wade asked me. My music video for my new single "Slave 4 U" was to be shown tonight at the charity before premiering on MTV's Making the Video in two weeks.

"Um, I think so…" I bit my nail. I was extremely nervous for everyone to see the video, especially Freddy. The lead single for this album was going to be different than anything I've ever done before. No matter what anyone said, there was no way that this song could be a "Baby One More Time" number 4. It was time for me to develop my new image.

"I'm sure it'll be great!" Freddy assured me by squeezing my hand. The lights in the room dimmed and everyone grew silent as the screen was lowered from the ceiling.

On the screen, I was dressed in a white half top and perfect fitting boot cut jeans. My belly button ring shined just bright enough, bringing attention to my perfectly cut abs that had no need to be edited. My light blonde bangs hung messily over my forehead showing contrast to my dark eye make-up. My entire body was slicked with oil, giving the appearance of sweat and extreme heat.

_I know I may be young, _

_But I've got feelings too_

_And I need to do, _

_What I feel like doing_

_So let me go,_

_And just listen_

I whispered into the camera, before the clip switches. Now I'm standing in front of a mirror, singing to myself while a huge lizard sits on my shoulder. The video takes place in an Asian bath house, or sauna in a high up building in the middle of the city in a developing country. The DJ in the corner spins my song, and we all start dancing while I wear a pink bra and underwear over my pants.

_I'm a slave for you_

_I cannot hold it, I cannot control it_

_I'm a slave for you_

_I won't deny it, I'm not trying to hide it, baby_

Even though it's extremely hot we continue to dance as if we were slaves. Because of the lack of water, my dancers and I all huddle together to produce sweat. One guy even licks the sweat off my cheek. At the end of the video, it finally starts to rain outside, and all my dancer rush to the windows.

Everyone in the room turns to me in silence when the video ends. In the second that follows a million thoughts run through my head. They loved it. They hated it. They thought it was too sexy. The song was about losing control and becoming a slave to the music. It's not as if it was some weird sex reference. I dressed as much in this video as I did in all my others, yet somehow this seemed by far more revealing. The sweat, the physical contact, it was a bit dramatic, but it went perfectly with the song. Maybe the video was a little more teenage and a little less elementary. But hey, I thought it was pretty sexy, in a good way.

Just then everyone in the room started to clap. Slowly at first, but then it really picked up. "Holy shit!" Kayla turned to me. "Holy fucking shit, I didn't know you were going _that_ far!" she patted me on the back.

" Wow," Freddy commented. "It definitely was sexy…"

"You liked it?" I asked him hopefully.

"Oh yeah, it was great." He smiled, but then he turned to Wade. "But don't think I didn't see your hands all over my girl." He told Wade lightly, but I don't think he meant it to be light.

"Sorry bro!" Wade put his hands up. "Just choreography, your girl wanted sexy, I gave her sexy." he laughed.

"Alright," Freddy pursed his lips. "Don't let it happen again." Kayla and I looked at one another. _Holy shit _was right.

* * *

><p>"You know he didn't mean to offend you right?" I asked Freddy later that night. I sat on his bed criss-cross apple sauce as he brushed his teeth. Although Freddy seemed to be joking around when he told Wade to back off me, I couldn't help but feel like he was really hurt.<p>

"Of course I know that," Freddy replied as he turned off the sink I walked back into his bedroom. "I'm just a jealous boyfriend." He smiles as he sits next to me.

"Don't be." I told him. "When I dance, nothing else matters. You know Wade is your best friend and most of the other dancers are gay so don't think about it…" I explained.

"I know, I know. I'm being silly." He kisses me. "Tell Wade that he can do whatever he wants to make the dance moves perfect. It's not business."

"Alright, but how about this: you stop thinking about Wade…" I murmur as I unbutton his shirt. "And start to think about me."

"Always," he smiles as he leans in to my kiss. "But can we do this in about an hour…" he says after a moment.

I lean back. "Why?" I pout.

"My mom is coming tomorrow, so I really need to clean up." He replies. It was a hilarious thought; I knew he had a cleaning lady.

"Tommorrow, already?" I asked. "I thought she wasn't coming until January 24th!"

"That's tomorrow…" he said. I looked at the date on my cell phone. Oh my god, he was right. So it's already been more than a month since I turned 19. It feels like my birthday was last week!

"Wow," I replied. "I guess I'll help you clean up."

He shook his head. "No, no, you don't have too…"

"Freddy come on, I practically live here. Let me help. The faster we get this done the faster we can go to sleep…" I winked.

"Okay then," he agreed. "We better work fast."

* * *

><p>"It's a cute idea," Tig told me as we sat in the back of a limo. "The kids will love it,"<p>

"No, no! It's not for kids. It's for teenagers and young adults. You know, coming-of-age; that sort of thing." We were discussing the idea I had proposed to MTV Films for my new movie. I wanted it to be about a young teenage girl graduating from high school. Even though her dad pressures her into being the perfect student with straight A's, all she really wants is to lay back and have fun. She reconnects with some of her old childhood best friends and they decide to go on a wild road trip without her father's permission. I know the concept is kind of girly, but that was the point.

"Yes, exactly!" Tig agreed. "MTV Films said they loved the idea. I love the idea. You love the idea. I say let's get started."

"Wait a second," Steve interrupted. "Are you sure that you don't want to make a film about being a pop star?" he asked me.

I sighed. "Yes, I'm positive…"

"I just think you should be doing a movie about music. Since, you know, you are an international pop star and all." He persisted.

"I will definitely incorporate music into the movie somehow. I'm just not sure how yet." I replied as I put on my sunglasses. We were about to step out of the car, and sunglasses helped to protect my identity.

"Calm down, Steve." Tig ordered. "Wonder knows what she wants."

"I don't think she does," Steve raised his voice once we were all out of the limo.

"She's a smart girl. She can make a few decisions on her own," Tig stood up for me.

"Oh you mean like the concept for her lead single?" Steve asked red-faced. "Do you know what the critics have been saying about the music video for Slave 4 U? They have been saying that parents shouldn't let their children watch it. They have been saying that it is nothing more than a slutty club beat song just like any other." He yelled. "How are we supposed to get cash from the parents when they won't let their kids listen to Wonder?"

Several people on the street stopped to stare at us. I rolled my eyes. "Everyone I've talked to said that they loved the video." I pointed out.

"Everyone you talk to is a slut!" Steve threw back at me. "You don't want to listen to me, fine. I don't give two shits." Now people were really staring.

"Can we just go inside now?" I whispered. Steve answered by sticking two cigarettes in his mouth.

When I entered the dance studio, my jaw dropped. This was no regular studio with mirrors and a dance floor. This was a sound studio built up completely with a complex stage so I can rehearse for my new tour. "What do you think?" Wade asked me once I greeted him hello.

"It's a dream!" I exclaimed. That was my corky attempt at making a joke. My tour was _The Dream Within A Dream Tour, _named after the poem by Edgar Allen Poe. It was all about making dreams come true, my coming of age, and newfound independence. The show would have all sorts of other-worldly effects and different themes. It was going to be my biggest production yet.

"Isn't the stage magical?" asked Teresa, one of my new dancers. She had huge, curly red hair and a tiny frame.

"It really is." I commented. The stage composed of a round main stage and a B-stage united by a runway. If looking from above, the stage had the shape of a giant key.

"Check this out," Tig tells me as he leads me up the stage. "This flying device was inspired by Cleopatra's barge." Near the back of the stage there was a long pathway with railings that could be lifted up into the air and over the crowd. I was going to be singing and dancing on this. "If it's turned 180 degrees it becomes a gyrating wheel," Tig explained as he showed me how it worked. With a touch of a button on his remote control, the flying device was turned on its side to reveal a flat board with straps. "Here you can strap yourself in for the first performance. It will be as if just you slowly rise from the stage."

"There's going to be a bunch of other effects!" Wade jumped in. Other than choreographing, he had been really involved in the production of my tour as well. "We are going to have confetti, pyrotechnics, laser lights, artificial snow, and fog."

"Whoa…" I muttered. It was kind of hard to take all this in at once. How could there be such a huge production for little old me?

"Also I wanted to see what you thought about rain?" Tig asked me.

"It's a really fucking bad idea." Steve interjected. He had been quietly sulking after our little argument. I almost forgot he was there.

"What do you mean, rain?" I asked.

"I know it seems like a lot, so I wanted to ask you before I made official plans." Tig started. "For the finale of the show, Wade and I had this idea that water could be pouring down from the roof as you dance. You could splash around a lot and it would be really fucking awesome for the crowd."

"Yes!" I agreed immediately. "That's an amazing idea!"

Wade looked really excited. "And what if we simmered a little bit over the crowd? Like not enough to drench them, but so they can get a feel of it, as if they were on stage also."

I nodded my head. This was a spectacular idea. "And it's never been done before, so we'll have an advantage!" Tig added.

"Girl, this is going to be the best concert ever!" Teresa commented and gave me a high-five.

Steve shook his head. "Are you going to rehearse or not? This concert isn't going to be that great if you aren't prepared." _Whatever, _I thought.


	15. Overprotected

**_Hey guys, sorry i have'nt been posting that frequently but i've been really busy. I'll definetely try to wor on this story more, and i have a lot planned for what's going to happen next (: please, please, please review because i love to hear feedback. especially advice, pointers, and ideas. thanks a ton!_**

So after promoting my single _Slave 4 U_ on endless TV shows and music awards, filming two new music based commercials for Pepsi-Cola (one of which was going to be premiered during the Super Bowl), finishing the last touches on my album, rehearsing for my tour, and filming my first movie, it's almost hard to believe that only three months had gone by since I turned nineteen years old. What can I say? Time sure does fly when you're a teen-dream pop sensation. I almost don't have time to cuddle with my delicious teen-dream boyfriend. Almost.

"I have to admit, you look super sexy on this cover girl!" Zoe giggled while looking at my new cover for Rolling Stone's Magazine. In the picture, I'm sitting on the edge of a lake in my acquired pop uniform: low-cut boot-leg jeans and a sparkly bra.

"I think they edited my boobs though. There is no way they are that big." I pointed to the huge cleavage sticking off my breasts.

"I don't know…" Zoe says, "You're boobs are pretty big without editing."

I laughed. "Maybe." I was happy to have some down time, even if it was making fun of my boobs with my sister Zoe. I had been feeling a little nervous today because my 3rd official studio album (not including EP's, holiday albums, and Christmas albums) was going to be released in stores for the first time in only two days.

It was scary because this album is my first step to a new sound. It had more elements of hip-hop/pop and a lot more _me. _Although I had written all my records, for the first time I actually put some thought into the things I was saying. I found I could really relate to a few songs, rather than just add the songs the label said would sell. The album isn't a complete diary, I'll admit that. I didn't pour my soul into the lyrics, and you wouldn't feel like you really know me by just listening to it. Still, I don't think I'm ready for that kind of honesty yet anyways, I'm still trying to figure myself out after all. And to even add a couple songs that were personal- it was a scary thing.

The album is titled _A Girl Wonder_. I came up with the title obviously because my name is Wonder, but also because even though people tend to refer to me as just a young girl, my success has become extreme. The name show's that even though I may be tiny, I can do big things. I think it's empowering. The track listing includes:

1. _Slave 4 U_

_2. Overprotected_

_3. Lonely_

_4. I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman_

_5. Boys_

_6. Anticipating_

_7. I Love Rock N' Roll _(a cover of the song by Joan Jett)

8._ Cinderella_

_9. Let Me Be_

_10. Bombastic Love_

_11. That's Where You Take Me_

_12. What it's Like To Be Me_

I co-wrote every song off the album except for _I Love Rock N' Roll_, which of course, is a legendary song I decided to cover. Lucky used to love that song, so I thought I'd add it in, as a memory of her. I wonder if Lucky liked Joan Jett because she was a lesbian too, although it was still weird for me to even think of Lucky that way. Still, I had to admit I loved Joan Jett almost as much as Lucky. Although I'm more of an R&B girl myself, I can't help the way rock n' roll completely changes my mood. Especially such influential bands like the Runaways who've done so much for women empowerment. I had already recorded the song for my new movie called _Crossroads_, and decided to add it to my CD last minute.

"I am so excited to see the new movie!" Zoe smiled as she admired the promotional poster for Crossroads I already had hanging in my awards room. We were at my mansion home in L.A.

Zoe had been spending a lot of time here recently because she relocated to the city for the next three months. As it turns out, Nickelodeon loved how Zoe acted on the hit TV show _All That_ so much that they offered to give her a show of her own. The series called Zoey 101 had just premiered its first season to excellent reviews on Teen Nick. The show is about a fourteen year old girl who goes to the coolest boarding school on the Pacific Coast. It was a typical teenage sitcom, and Zoe was perfect for the role.

My mom has been staying with Zoe in a nice home she rented in L.A while Zoe films her TV show. As always, my dad and Charles are still back on Cape Cod patiently waiting for the two of them to come home. I'm glad Zoe decided she still wants to live in Devonport when she isn't filming. Living a normal life should keep her grounded. The fame game was a part of my lifestyle but I'm not positive I wanted my little fourteen-year-old sister as a player yet.

"Yeah, me too!" I exclaimed. Another reason I was nervous was because tomorrow was also going to be a private screening of my movie, exclusive to only my friends and family. This was going to be the first time I had ever seen it, and I better like it too, because soon I'll have to see a screening with the cast and in a few months the movie will premiere in movie theaters globally.

"Are you nervous for Freddy to see it?" she asked.

I sighed. "Yeah, I mean I know it sounds silly and all but I really want him to like it," Freddy had seemed really supportive of me when I told him my ideas of making a movie, but there was no way I let him on the set with me during filming. In the movie I have a love interest, and I already know how Freddy gets when he sees me with guys in my music videos. I don't even want to imagine how jealous he would be if he saw me acting like I was in love with somebody else. Hopefully seeing the movie on a screen tomorrow will reassure him that it's just acting. "So, is your boyfriend coming to the screening?" I asked Zoe.

"Yes," she smiled. "He called me to tell me his flight landed only two hours ago." I could hardly believe it. Zoe had a boyfriend. I guess it's not that unusual at the age of fourteen, but still, I thought of her as my little sister playing with dolls. Now all of a sudden she has a boyfriend, her own TV show, and a bunch of Teen Choice Awards of her own coming her way.

"That's great," I responded. "I'm glad he could make it." I didn't know much about Zoe's boyfriend, Casey, but I was eager to meet him. All I knew was that he was _way _older. Okay, he was sixteen-years-old, only two years older than Zoe. Still, the age difference seemed like such a jump to me. I guess I'm really protective over my little sister.

"You're going to love him!" she gushed. "He is just so sweet, and _so _cute!" I laughed along with her. If he made Zoe happy he must be a good guy, and at least he is from Devonport instead of L.A. Who knows what kind of creepy older guys have been trying to hit on my sister when she's in Hollywood? Charlie had met Casey before and told me he approved, so when Zoe asked if she could bring him to the screening of my new movie, there was no way to refuse. I automatically sent Casey a plane ticket from Massachusetts to California.

"Aw, I remember what is was like with my first boyfriend." I reminisced. Of course, I had little romances with guys like Doug Chase and Liam Murphy before I ever had a real boyfriend, but Jorge was the first one to treat me right. I wondered what he was up to these days. I had talked to him a couple times in the past two years since we broke up, but I hadn't heard from him in a while. It was funny to think I was once in a puppy-dog love with him, considering how different things are now. All my feelings are directed towards Freddy now, and I honestly doubt anything could change that.

"Yeah, I remember Jorge." Zoe commented. "He always seemed a little bit gay…" she laughed.

"What?" I cracked up. "How?"

"Oh, you know. He was a dancer, he was Latino. That sort of thing." She joked.

"Hmm, interesting thought process you've got going on there." I giggled.

"Whatever. I like Freddy. You should keep him." She said seriously.

Uh oh, now my little sister is giving me love advice. "Yeah, I think I will." I agreed.

"He's great for you. You two have so much in common. Plus, I remember when I was really little Freddy's mom used to bring us cookies when she would take you and Lucky home from B-Kidz. I wouldn't mind having her in the family either."

"Oh, so that's what this is about!" I poked her in her skinny rib-cage.

She put up her hands in an innocent gesture before the door to my awards room opened. "What is going on in here?" asked Robert, my security guard who was making his final rounds of security around my home before heading to bed in my guest house for the night.

"Hey Big Rob!" Zoe greeted him. Big Rob was the nickname Zoe had given Robert when she first met him and it had caught on with everyone else on my management team as well. It was pretty self explanatory. He was a big guy.

"Hey little Zoe," he walked up to her and completed the handshake they had made up. "You two shouldn't be staying up all night, we got a busy day tomorrow." He told us.

"I know, I know, we were just having sister bonding time!" I smiled. "Do you want to join?" I joked.

His eyes squinted. "I'm going to bed. You kids wear me out." He laughed as he walked out of the room. Big Rob and Tony had become really good friends to me since they joined Karl as the head of my security. I'm really happy to have them.

* * *

><p>The room we were having the private screening in wasn't very big, but it was high class. All of the chairs were spacious recliners. The snack bar was stocked completely with popcorn and every candy imaginable. There were waiters ready to bring you any sort of meal you wanted at the touch of a button. The screen the movie was to be shown on was high-definition. And best of all, all my closest friends and family were there.<p>

"Wonder, girl, you look even hotter in person!" Trina exclaimed as she engulfed me in a bear-hug. I hadn't seen her in god knows how long.

"Treen! Damn I've missed you so much! How have you been? _Where _have you been?" I knew Trina had been traveling the world with her monster-popular R&B group Destiny's Child, but I need details.

"Oh where haven't I been is the better question!" she laughed. "Keep it on the down low, but I've been recording an album!" she whispered into my ear. She must have noticed the look of curiosity on my face because right after she added, "I'll tell you all about it later."

"Well, look who decided to show up," hissed a very vicious sounding Kayla from behind me. Her eyes were shooting daggers at Trina yet her mouth had the beginnings of a smile. Trina stepped forward and engulfed Kayla in a huge hug.

"How are you?" Kayla asked her old friend. I would never understand those two. They've barely spoken in years, they give each other dirty looks, and then they hug?

"I'll catch up with you guys later," I told them before I headed towards the snack table where Henry and Katie were trying the sour gummy worms.

"Henry, you are _so _LAME. Nobody likes gummy worms better than gummy bears," Katie made fun of her twin before turning to greet me. "Oh my goodness, Wonder, have you tried this food? It's amazing!" she squealed.

"She's been talking about the chocolate fountain for the last ten minutes." Henry whispered in my ear as he hugged me.

"Really? I have one in my house. Come over later, I'll show you guys." I invited them. Neither of them had ever been to my new home before, and Katie had never been to California at all.

"Yes, for sure!" Katie agreed.

"So how have you two been liking California?" I asked.

"Well, Stanford's great. I really love the college experience." Henry winked.

"Aw, that's great. So, do you know what you want to major in?" I wondered.

"I was thinking law. I'm not sure what kind yet, but I'm still a freshman so I've got time to figure it out." He replied.

"Law, really? Wow." Henry was a brilliant guy, so there was no doubt in my mind that he could do it. I just always thought of him as more of a science nerd rather than law. But I guess a lot has changed since my junior year in high school, especially the thought of Henry being a nerd at all. He was tall, built, tan, and his once light blonde hair had darkened to a very light brown. He was a good looking _man. _"What about you, Katie? Do you like California?"

"I've only been here for two hours…" she answered.

"Oh don't worry, I'll show you around!" I promised her. Henry and Katie were staying with me this week. I wasn't able to clear my schedule completely (with my album coming out tomorrow, there's no possible way) but they are going to follow me around to celebrity functions and such. That should be a real treat to Katie, who loves that kind of stuff.

"Guess who?" asked a voice behind me as my eyes were covered by two manly hands.

"Hmm, it couldn't be Freddy…" I responded before turning around.

"No. That's not a possibility." Freddy smiled as I gave him a hello kiss on the cheek.

"Ew, you smell bad!" I squealed. He didn't really smell bad at all, but he had a little bit of sweat on his hairline, making wonder what he had been up to.

"Sorry!" he blushed, "I just got done throwing hoops with Wade." Aw, my superstar boyfriend still has time to play basketball for fun like every other twenty-year-old.

"I'm going to call you Stinky from now on!" I teased.

"Fine, then I'm calling you Pinky," he responded.

I laughed, "Why?"

"I don't know. Because you're wearing pink," he pointed to my pink leather pants and crop top. "But mostly because it rhymes with Stinky!" He stated as he headed closer to the candy stash.

"Freddy, what's up man?" Katie asked him.

While Freddy was busy talking to Katie and Henry, I turned to Wade who had walked up. "Hey, movie star!" he hugged me.

"Wow, I guess that's right," I commented. "I'm hardly used to being called a pop star and now I have a movie also!"

"Better get used to it. After this film is a hit you'll be getting all sorts of movie offers."

"Oh no!" I responded. "This movie was great to film and stuff, but I think I'm going to stick with my music for a while." I reassured him.

"Good, because we have a tour starting up soon and I wouldn't want you to be distracted." Wade reasoned.

"So what have you and Freddy been up to?" I asked him. Freddy had told me him and Wade had been hanging out earlier today.

"Oh you know, the usual. We played a little basketball. Freddy showed me a new song he's working on. I think it's about you." he winked.

"Aw, really? Do I get to hear it?" Freddy has never written me a song before; or at least showed me the song if he did.

"Absolutely," Freddy interjected as he came into Wade and my conversation. "But we'll save that for later; right now we have a movie to watch with the most beautiful girl in the world as the star." I blushed. He was _so_ perfect.

Soon, everyone in the room was sat down and quiet as the lights dimmed to show my movie, _Crossroads. _Shonda Rhimes, the screen-play writer, made sure the plot was completely based off the original idea I had.

Lucy (my character), Mimi (played by Taryn Manning) and Kit (played by Zoe Saldana) are three friends who live in a small town located in the state of Louisiana. While children, they bury a "wish box" in the ground, and vow to dig it up on the night of their high school graduation, also pledging to stay best friends forever. However, as they grow up, they focus on different aspects of their lives, and stop being friends. Lucy turns out to be the smart girl with perfect grades, Kit becomes the popular girl in school, and Mimi is a teenager who ends up being pregnant. On the night of their graduation, they keep their promise and get together to open the "wish box". As they start talking again, they remember their old wishes while burying the box: Mimi wanted to travel to California, Lucy wanted to see her mother again, and Kit wanted to get married. Mimi brings up the topic of going to Los Angeles for a record contract audition (I had to add music in the movie somehow). They all decide to go together; Lucy to visit her mom in Tucson, Arizona and Kit to visit her fiancé in Los Angeles.

They set out on the road with little money in a yellow 1969 Buick Skylark convertible with a guy named Ben (played by Anson Mount). Lucy, however, leaves without the permission of her father Pete (played by Dan Aykroyd), who wakes up the next day to find his daughter is gone. Shortly into their journey, the car breaks down. They realize that they don't have enough money between them for the travel nor the repair costs. Mimi then suggests that she sing karaoke at a local bar, where good singers are tipped well by the costumers. While at the bar, the girls dress up and go on stage to perform. However, when the song starts Mimi develops stage fright, being unable to sing. Seeing that they needed the money, Lucy takes her place, and quickly becomes a hit with the crowd. They make enough money to fix the car and continue on their way.

After all of them go to a motel, Kit tells the girls that she heard a rumor about Ben, commenting that he had recently been released from jail, after killing someone. The girls then spend most of the journey feeling uneasy around him, until they confront him. Ben reveals that he in fact was in jail - for driving his step-sister across state borders without parental consent, after her father was abusing her. Having established that Ben was not the assassin they imagined him to be, Lucy and Ben grow closer. The girls talk properly to each other for the first time since they were kids. Lucy reveals that her mother abandoned her and her father when she was three. Kit, who was overweight as a child, has an overbearing mother who sent her to "fat camp" but now cannot stand that her daughter is more beautiful than her. Mimi reveals that the baby's father was not her boyfriend, but a guy who raped her after she got drunk at a party.

After they arrive in Arizona, Lucy finally meets her mother Carolyne (played by Kim Cattrall from _Sex and The City_) after eighteen years. However, Carolyne reveals that she married again, and that she now has two sons. She reveals to Lucy that she never wanted to have her, and that she was a mistake. Lucy leaves the house and starts to cry on a motel bathroom, while Ben comforts her. The following day, Lucy rejoins the others and goes on to Los Angeles. When they arrive, Kit brings Mimi along to surprise her fiancé, Dylan (played by Richard Voll). However, it is revealed that Dylan is betraying Kit, after they see another girl in his apartment. Already upset, Kit suddenly realizes that it was Dylan who raped Mimi and got her pregnant, and she punches him. Scared, Mimi runs away. However, she falls down the stairs and, consequently, loses her baby. While alone in the hotel, Lucy has sex with Ben for the first time. Lucy and Ben fall in love, and against her father's wishes, she stays in Los Angeles and goes to the audition instead of Mimi, receiving a standing ovation at the end.

The movie was definitely not the Disney Channel Film most people would expect me to do, but it was great for the teenagers. Although the plot has some dramatic key points, it really is just a girly movie about reconnecting with friends and having fun. I didn't really want it to have a moral or a lesson to learn at the end. I just wanted it to be… real, something that my fans and I could relate to. The movie was originally going to be called _What Friends Are For, _but I opted for _Crossroads _instead because it fit much better. The movie was about a road-trip and it was coming-of-age. A song from my new album _A Girl Wonder _called _Not a Girl, No_t _Yet a Woman _was going to be the lead single off the movie's soundtrack.

I was a little nervous of what everyone would think during the sex scenes. I was only in two, and they were hardly racy at all. In the beginning of the movie my character Lucy decides to have sex with her science partner because neither of them wants to go to college as a virgin. After an awkward moment of showing off her sexy underwear, Lucy realizes she isn't ready yet and backs out of the deal. Then the second sex scene just starts off with Lucy kissing Ben before she takes her shirt off. That's it. There's no nudity, panting, or moaning; still, the intention was clear. Oh my gosh, I wonder my dad was thinking!

I didn't have much time to worry if anyone had liked it or not after the film ended because Freddy whispered "That was incredible" into my ear before everyone started to clap and swarm over to me.

"Congratulations!" Tig patted me on the back. "You were great!"

"We are going to make so much money off of this!" Steve exclaimed.

"Wow, you're actually not half as bad as I thought you would be!" said Charles. I was really glad he and my dad came, considering they hardly ever like to make trips to Los Angeles.

"I'm not sure if that is a compliment or not, but thank you anyways!" I hugged him. "You know, I did used to act on B-Kidz!"

"Right, right, of course! B-Kidz trained you for life!" he sarcastically stated. "What a relief."

"Ha ha!" I threw back. Will little brothers always be so immature?

"What I want to know is how did you film that whole thing in three months? That's crazy!" he shook his head.

"Is it?" I asked. "Yeah, I guess it was a fast shoot but I have a really busy schedule, so you know, I got to get things done." I slapped my hands together in a _chop-chop_ motion. "It's not like it was some crazy action film with special effects. It was pretty straight forward."

"Hmm, do you ever get a weekend to rest?" he asked me.

I blinked. "What is rest?" I asked.

* * *

><p>"Katie, are you ready to go? The limo is waiting outside!" I screamed from my living room for the eighth time that minute.<p>

"Yeah, I'm coming!" She hurried down my tall spiral staircase. The day after the movie screening, Henry and Katie accompanied me to the many talk shows and press conferences I had scheduled to promote my new album _A Girl Wonder_. Yesterday, Katie and I had a complete girl day while Henry stayed home to finish a report he had been assigned to do at Stanford. Katie and I hit the spa where we got facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, highlights, and _everything_ waxed. I got new long blonde extensions put in my hair as I had them out for the filming of my movie. In order to look "small town" I had my hair cut to my shoulders. Katie couldn't get extensions because she has that really curly kind of hair that no false piece could imitate. The rest of the day we sat in a hot tub in a comfortable silence. This was pretty much the standard procedure of how to prepare before a big event.

And today wasn't just a big event, it was _huge_! Today was the MTV Video Music Awards. I had spent five hours earlier today rehearsing _Slave 4 U, _which I was going to perform. After rehearsing I had my team of stylists report to my house to fit Katie into a fabulous Versace gown and Henry into a tux. They had spent the last two hours doing Katie and my hair, make-up, nails, you name it. But now it was six o'clock meaning we had to hurry if we wanted to make it to the red carpet in time for the paparazzi interviews.

"Katie you look gorgeous!" I told her. I meant it. Her curly blonde hair was full and glossy. Her sparkly black strapless dress showed just enough cleavage and hugged her hips as it flowed down to her five inch golden heels. Her accessories matched perfectly. They should, I bought them especially for her.

"Of course, you both do. But can we leave?" Henry asked for the hundredth time. I guess he didn't care about looking great for the awards as much as Katie and I did.

"Yes," I agreed. "Let's go." I nodded at Tony and Big Rob.

At my queue, Tony whipped out his walkie-talkie. "Ms. Blake is exiting the building."

"Come on out, the walkway is secure." Karl's voice sounded from the other end. I rolled my eyes. The limo was parked in my driveway less than twenty feet away. I think I can make it there without three armed bodyguards on my side.

"I still can't believe you're taking me to the VMA Awards!" Katie squealed once we sat inside the limo. "I've dreamt of going to something like this my whole life!" I knew she had, which was exactly why I invited her. Katie may be a little bit corky, but so was I. The day I'm too cool to bring my small town friends to a big event is the day I know I've lost myself. Katie loved stuff like this, she deserved to be here. "I mean this is the biggest music award show of the year." Well actually the Grammy's were considered the most important, but the VMA's definitely had the most controversy.

"I still can't believe how much you paid for that dress!" Henry stated. He's a smart guy, so I'm sure he figured out that my dress was worth about 5 digits. Still, it isn't as if I told him how much it cost. I would never do something so incredibly _Kayla. _But my dress was pretty hot, if I do say so myself. It was a silver strapless dress showing off a lot of boob and cut off six inches above the knee. The most revealing thing about the dress was that my entire back and midriff was revealed leaving only my right side covered until it got to my waistline.

"You're going to love it!" I told Katie. "I would offer you a beverage or snack but I'm sure you're going to want to save room for when we get there." I pointed to the mini-fridge in the limo. "They always have the _best _food. Plus, we are going out to dinner with Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez after the show. I think she's bringing her boyfriend Criss Judd. Wait until you see the guy! He's hot, but definitely not J-Lo worthy!"

"Oh, I can take that guy's place if Jennifer's interested." Henry joked.

"As if, Henry!" Katie rolled her eyes before looking at me. "If only you weren't dating Freddy. Then you and I could finally live out that dream we had in junior year! Remember, you wanted to date Will Nieves and I would date Ricky Martin!"

I laughed, wondering if she realized they were both gay. Oh, how naïve we were when we were fifteen. "Oh yeah, I remember! That's so funny; I'll have to tell them about how I used to crush on them." I'm sure they would get a kick out of that one.

Katie grunted. "So not fair! First you get to have Will Nieves in your Baby One More Time video, and then you get to a record a music video with Ricky Martin for your single! If it weren't for all that work you do, I would almost want to take your life. I only went to work with you one day and I'm ready to rest for a year!"

"Yeah, it's a pretty good life." I replied. Obviously I didn't have a perfect life. As a child I was abused, lived in a crap house, and my sister is dead. Still, I frequently need to remind myself of what I do have: great friends, family, and fans. What more could I need?

"Seriously though Wonder, when are you going to start doing what you want to do?" Henry asked me.

"What do you mean?" I squinted. "I'm doing exactly what I want…"

"Oh, I just thought you would want to record music with… meaning. I didn't realize you were into this pop stuff." I didn't know how to respond to that. I never told Henry I wasn't always content with my music. How could he possibly know how I felt?

"Well, I do." I chose my words carefully. "I'm just… not at that place yet, in my career. I don't think my fans would accept the transition to a more mature me."

Henry shook his head. "_You_ don't think the fans will accept it? Or is it your _managing team?" _I didn't know how to respond to that either, so I let the subject drop.

* * *

><p>"Hey guys this is Klaire Young reporting live from the VMA's and you're watching MTV News! We have our favorite teen star with us today, Wonder Blake!" Klaire Young said into the camera as she gave me a one-armed hug on the red carpet. "First off I've got to say: wow! That dress is <em>so<em> sexy! I wish I could pull off something like that!"

"Aw, thank you!" I smiled.

"That's definitely going to spark some conversation with the fashion critics! So I hear you're performing tonight. Are you nervous?" Klaire asked me seriously.

I thought about it for a moment. "No, not really," I answered. "I always get little jitters right before the show, but its more excitement than nerves. I don't know, I just love being on stage." I explained honestly.

She nodded her head. "So at last year's VMA's you started quite the controversy when you stripped down to a skin-colored outfit during your performance of _Oops…! I Did It Again. _How are you going to top your performance this year?"

I shook my finger at the camera. "I don't know," I said in a playful voice. "I guess you all are just going to have to wait and find out!"

"And I have one more question before you go," she said. "This has been a popular subject on the MTV website. Last year you said you wanted to wait for sex until marriage…" Well I never said _I _was going to wait. "So we wanted to know if you've kept your promise."

That actually kind of annoyed me. Wasn't that a personal question? Steve told me that I had to just go along with the rumor, but wouldn't that be lying? "Um, yeah…" I smiled. "It's just a personal thing. It's not a big deal…" There. Now they'll leave me alone.

Klaire smiled. "How sweet, you really are the perfect role model. Good luck on your performance tonight!"

* * *

><p>Well, my performance at the Video Music Awards definitely topped last year's performance, as far as controversy goes. The theme was completely about the jungle. I entered the stage in a giant cage with a (tamed) tiger inside with me. I wore a sparkly green bra, yellow boots, and very tiny blue shorts with a coin belt made for belly dancing. After dancing an intense belly dancing routine, an Albino Burmese Python was brought on stage. Once I put the snake around my shoulders for a couple of verses, I ended the performance with another dance number.<p>

After the show, I got a million comments on how sexy the performance was (which I intended it to be). What I didn't intend was for people to be offended by my use of animals on stage. Two days after the awards, PETA put out an announcement criticizing that it was unethical treatment of animals. I really didn't feel as if the animals were treated badly, but I wouldn't have done it if I had known it would have been such a big deal. Plus, I was kind of terrified of the python anyways. But after some debating I just decided to bring him into the performance to get it over with.

Although my performance was the most talked about thing that night, I thought there was something else at the award show that was much more important. Near the end of the ceremony, there was a huge tribute to the lives lost during the terrorist attacks on September 11th. It was an extremely emotional moment for me, as I was sitting in one of the front rows as they showed the tribute. I couldn't help but remember the feeling of fear and shock that went through me as I saw that the World Trade Center catch on fire. All those people inside, they're gone now.

"I have a request," I said sternly as I walked into Steve's office.

"Of course you do…" Tig joked. "What's up?"

"I want to take a dollar from each ticket I sell for the new tour, and give it to the families who lost a loved one in the terrorist attacks." I explained. "Isn't that a good idea?"

"Sure," Steve commented sarcastically, "If you're trying to find a way to lose money."

"Steve Kurtz!" said Madge, Steve's mother. "I think that's an excellent idea!"

"Oh hello Mrs. Kurtz, I didn't even see you there!" I smiled at her. Lately she had been helping Steve out a lot with my managing. I guess he had other things on his mind, although I couldn't imagine what.

"I think that's a valid request," Tig decided. "What do you think Steve?"

Steve looked between our three hopeful faces and sighed. "Fine, give one dollar off each ticket. Not a penny more."

"Good," his mother smiled. "Oh Wonder, have you seen the final edits for your new music video? Steve and I were just looking them over. They are amazing!"

"No, I haven't. Is there a copy here?" I asked. Since when did Steve's mother get to see my own music video before I did? Not that I minded, but it seemed like she was becoming more like a third manager every day.

"Yup," Steve murmured. "I'll pull it up on my laptop. Give me a second."

"I'll catch up with you all later," Madge said as she got up to leave. "I have an appointment at the spa."

The music video was for my second single called Overprotected. The song was my choice, considering it described exactly how I felt. What wasn't my choice was the music video. It started off with me driving away from paparazzi in my car before entering an empty warehouse. There I start to dance all alone until my dancers find me and try to cheer me up. Throughout the video, I'm in a room covered in posters of myself while the walls continually close in on me.

_I tell them what I like, what I don't, and what I won't_

_But every time I do, I stand corrected_

_Things that I've been told…What I hear about the world… _

_I realize I'm overprotected_

_There must be another way, 'cause I believe in taking chances_

_But who am I to say what a girl is to do? God, I need some answers_

_What am I to do to win my life (you would find it as no worry)_

_How am I supposed to know what's right? (You just gotta do it your way)_

_I can't help the way I feel,_

_But my life has been so overprotected._

I was actually pretty happy with it, considering it was Steve's idea. If I could change anything, I would probably include more running away from the paparazzi and my managing team. I assume Steve knew this, which is why he came up with his own idea before I could. "I like it," I said half-heartedly. "It's just like all my videos though. I want the next one to have a really… fresh vibe to it."

"You're next single is _Lonely." _Steve stated.

"Eh, I don't really like that song all that much. I only put it on the album because you and Tig asked me too…"

Steve pinched the bridge in between his nose. "Are we really going to have an argument about this?" he brought a cigarette to his lips and blew his smoke directly in my face.

Tig sighed. "Wonder, could you please just give this song a chance."

What? Now Tig was taking Steve's side? "Why? It's not a big deal. It's just a song. And it seems like every song I choose is successful anyways."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Steve yelled. Now he brought out his joint. Oops. "You have success because _I _helped you. God damnit, _I made you. _It's not you they want, Wonder. It's the persona Tig and I morphed you into." Ouch. I looked to Tig for some back-up, but it was hard to repress the tears I felt coming.

"Well, let's not forget that Wonder is the one with the voice…" Tig came to my defense.

"Ha!" Steve laughed. "You're right. You. Are. So. Right. Wonder has an amazing voice." He spat at Tig before turning to me. "But tell me Wonder, on that new album of yours, is there one song that Kayla couldn't sing? Any song that would be out of her vocal range?" I didn't respond out loud, only in my head. _No_, I thought. "Is there any song on that album that any decent preteen that could hold a tune couldn't sing?" When I didn't respond again he laughed. "Of course not. You may have been about voice on _B-Kidz _Wonder, but this is Hollywood. In Hollywood all we care about is image. You're _my _image."

That really pissed me off. "I'm not your little bitch, Steve! This is my career; I can do whatever I want." On the outside I sounded tough, but I was afraid he heard the little crack in my voice.

"Be my guest." He put his hands up. "You want a mature image and mature fans, that's great. Get out of my office. You can come back when you wanna play my way."

I was shocked. Did he not realize I could fire him? Of course he did, which is why he said it. I think he thought I was going to apologize and give in. He thought I was an idiot.

"Are you staying or leaving?" Steve narrowed his eyes on Tig.

Tig gave me one long pitiful look in my eyes before putting his arm around my shoulders. Without looking back, we both walked out the door and slammed it shut.


	16. Boys

Well, the next three months were tough, to say the least. Although I was wary about it at first, Tig decided to sort things out with Steve after our little incident. They came to an agreement that I would get to choose the next single as long as I follow his schedule of appearances in order to promote it. But of course, the label interfered before I even had a chance to voice my own opinions. Since my new movie _Crossroads_ is on the verge of premiering, they thought it would be a good idea to release "_I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" _as my next single since it's the theme song for the film. I wasn't completely disappointed by the choice, considering that the song is a pop ballad that actually has a message I encourage.

_It feels like I'm caught in the middle,_

_But that's when I realize_

_I'm not a girl _

_Not yet a woman _

_All I need is time, a moment that is mine_

_While I'm in between_

_I'm not a girl…_

The song was completely relatable. Not just for me, but for all girls at this point in their lives. The music video for the song was shot atop a cliff near Lake Powell inside the Antelope Mountain while I wore a tan colored half top, boot-cut jeans, and cowboy boots. The whole concept was completely natural- no green screen, no heavy make-up, no cable cords. It was just me, sitting on the edge of a cliff with my light blonde hair blowing in the wind.

The thing that sucked about the label choosing this song as the next single was that I didn't get to take advantage of the little freedom I had with Steve. Still I had to keep up my end of the bargain. Unfortunately now that Steve has his mother on board to help him manage my career along with Tig, my schedule is as packed as ever. And I couldn't exactly complain considering that Steve only answers me with "You know why you're number 3 on Forbes Most Powerful Celebrities list, Wonder? Because you're a hard worker. You know why you aren't number one? Because you complain so damn much." Which of course causes me to roll my eyes at him, which causes Steve to storm off into his office and roll a joint or snort cocaine or whatever it is that he does in there.

Actually, Steve's drug problem has become quite the controversy around our "office". Tig says it's the business; everyone in Hollywood is on drugs. Felicia won't buy it. She thinks I should fire him. Of course this thought has crossed my mind before, but I would be kidding myself if I said I was actually going to do it. Steve may be an arrogant asshole, but he wasn't as stupid as I originally thought. No matter how angry he makes me, or how deprived of sleep I get, my franchise continues to thrive. Of course, much of this is due to Tig's genius instincts of who is a good producer for me to work with, or who to direct my video. But without Steve's constant nagging, would I be the star I am today?

The star I am today has a sold-out tour; not only across North America, but also Asia as well. In the label's eyes the tour had been going extremely well. For me, touring was great at night when I was able to perform, but the day time was a completely different story. Being on the road is always an exciting thing, but this tour was busier than any I had before. Being thrown from one city to the next every day became exhausting fast, and my sleeping habits were getting more screwed up with each passing day. And too make matters even worse I haven't even seen Freddy since the private screening of Crossroads, well over three months ago. Between my schedule and his (possibly final) tour with 'N Sync, finding time together was getting tough. Even a phone call here and there was a rare luxury. Today is a special day because I finally got to visit him before my show in Las Vegas tomorrow night.

_The taste that beats the others cold, Pepsi pours it all_

_Pepsi's got that special taste created for the call_

_the bold rush on that Pepsi drive_

_makes Pepsi-cola come alive_

_the taste that beats the others cold, Pepsi pours it all_

_come feel the joy all around_

_each generation has found_

_they've got their own kind of sound_

_time to let it out_

_you've got your own kind of groove_

_baby you can't flee, it's your move_

_gotta take that leap, you can't lose _

_time to shout it out_

_Ba, ba, ba, ba._

_Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba_

_Got to live that "Joy of pepsi"_

_Co-oh-ola_

"Now that's what I love to hear!" laughed Teresa, my back-up dancer as we sat in the backseat of my driver's Range Rover, listening to the Pepsi commercial on the radio. "I love that song!" Of course, the new Pepsi anthem was sung by me because I am the "Face of The Pepsi Generation". Ever since the commercial premiered on TV during the Super Bowl (where I had the privilege of performing the half time show with 'N Sync and Aerosmith), the song and two others I had recorded for Pepsi were being broadcasted nonstop on various radio stations and TV channels for advertisement.

"Yeah, it's a catchy one!" my bodyguard Tony laughed from the backseat. "Listen, Wonder, are you sure you don't want me to go into the studio with you? You never know when an obsessed fan will come across your path…"

I laughed. "No, no, don't worry. I need to do this on my own." Because of all our time apart, I was dying to just be alone with Freddy today. He had promised to let me listen to some of his new music for his upcoming solo record. "I'll see you guys later," I hugged Teresa as the Range Rover pulled up in front of Pop Life Studios in Las Vegas. I could barely hold my excitement as I walked up the steps to the building. I missed Freddy so much.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Wonder!" screamed a random pre teen with orange braids and braces. She seemed to have literally popped out of nowhere, but next thing I know she's running full speed towards me. "I love you so much, you have no idea!" she squealed as she almost knocked me over in a bear-hug.

"Whoa, careful there" I muttered as I tried to ply her fingers off my hair without offending her.

"I know you were signed to Pop Life Records so I thought it would be cool to come here on my trip to Vegas but I never actually thought that I would see you here and this is like I dream and I can't wait to tell Elizabeth about this Omigosh she is going to freak out and can I have your autograph or maybe a picture?" the red-head girl said in one breath.

"Sure, hold on a sec" I smiled while I dug through my purse to find a spare napkin. "What's your name?"

"Kalie" she responded quickly as she took 20 pictures of me with her cell phone.

"Okay, nice to meet you Kalie. Thanks for all your support." I smiled as I handed her the autographed napkin. I was relieved that Tony wasn't here to witness this, as I just reassured him that no stalker fans would find me today. I was wearing a cap and glasses after all. How did they always catch me?

"Do you, like, wanna go for a run sometime? I read in Pop Star magazine that you like to jog. And my favorite color is baby blue, just like yours. We're exactly the same you know. Here, I'll give you my number." She laughed as she handed me her own personalized business card.

"Aw, thanks Kalie. You're so sweet," I hugged her. "I have an appointment inside, but I really hope to see you at one of my shows soon."

"Of course!" she screamed after me as I started to walk away. "I already have a ticket to your tour!"

I blew her a kiss before walking into the recording studio. I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to screaming preteens, but I really do appreciate my fans- no matter how weird they can be.

"Oh my god! Is that Wonder Blake?" I heard a teenage boy scream from across the street. As I turned to look through the window I saw a crowd of people running to towards the building. I quickly got into the elevator and hurried into Freddy's recording studio.

"Freddy!" I exclaimed once I came inside. "I've missed you so much!" I didn't even wait for his response before going in for a kiss. Freddy turned his head last minute so our heads bummed in an awkward way.

He laughed as he massaged his head. "Whoa there, no need to get so jumpy."

"Well, I'm just excited…" I explained, trying not to sound too hurt.

"Yeah, me too!" he smiled. "So look, I've been working on a lot of cool stuff and I'm not saying the album is close to finished, but you've got to hear some of these beats."

"Oh, okay." I smiled. I was anxious to hear his new music, but I also thought maybe Freddy would want to talk first.

"Listen to this, this song is for you babe." He winked as he hit the play button.

_Ain't nobody loved you like I love you_

_You're a good girl and that's what makes me trust you_

_(Hey) late at night I talk to you_

_And you will know the difference when I touch you_

"Um, wow. I like it" I told him honestly. Sure, the song wasn't the mushy ballad I was hoping for, but it was a really catchy song. It was definitely going to be a big hit.

"Really? I mean, I've got a ton of stuff but right now I think that's going to be the lead single. Wade has stopped by and we've worked on some stuff but I really wanna bring him back, you know."

"Wait, Wade has stopped by?" I asked him. "When?"

"Oh, you know, here and there. He comes on the weekends when you don't have shows and stuff."

"Why didn't anyone tell me? I mean, I could've come with him! I haven't seen you in more than 3 months!" I stressed.

Freddy looked down at the floor. "Come on, Wonder. You're too busy for that. You've been on Oprah and what not and-"

Freddy got cut off by another voice. "Freddy! My man! What's up?" yelled a very large black man as he entered the room and high-fived my boyfriend.

Freddy smiled. "Wonder, this is Timbaland. He's a producer I've been working with. A total genius, this guy is!" Freddy patted him on the back.

"Oh hi, I'm Wonder." I smiled, putting my hand out towards him.

"I know who you are. You think I'm some kind of fool?" he shook his head. I put my hand down slowly, not sure if he was trying to be funny or not. "So are we going to get to work or not?" he asked Freddy.

"Of course, I just wanna fix a couple verses on track number 3… it feels kind of dull." Freddy answered.

"Is she going to stick around?" Timbaland nodded his head towards me. Why couldn't he just ask me directly?

"Um, I don't know." Freddy replied. What does he mean he doesn't know? He invited me here. He didn't even tell me that anyone else was going to be here. In fact, I thought we were going to spend time alone. "Wonder, are you staying? I mean it might be a while and we're going to be working."

"Man, this girl don't wanna be hanging around watching us work!" Timbaland interfered. "She's got shopping or something to do."

"No, I don't." I answered. I had actually cleared my schedule this afternoon to see Freddy, but apparently he hadn't done the same.

Freddy looked at me apologetically. "I mean, I would love for you to stay…"

"No, it's fine." I snapped unintentionally. "I actually, have, um, rehearsals. Yeah, I have rehearsals for tomorrow's show. You're still coming right?" Tomorrow performance was a big deal because HBO was going to show it live on television in front of the whole world. Plus, Freddy hasn't even seen my tour yet, and it was my best my far.

"Of course…" Freddy said hesitantly. "I'll be there."

"Good…" I said awkwardly before stepping out of the room. I almost made it to the exit of the building before I saw the crowd of fans that were lined up outside the door.

"Perhaps you should call somebody to pick you up, Ms. Blake" stated the door man. "I've been trying to hold them out this whole time. We had to lock the doors." _Yes, perhaps I should, _I thought as I dialed for Big Rob. No way was I going to let Tony see this.

* * *

><p>"<em>Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Ti, Do…" <em>I sang to myself in my dressing room.

"Wonder, you're on in five." Tig knocked on the door, the same way he did before every show to warn me when it's time to go.

I looked into the mirror and closely inspected my face. With my hair exactly in place and my make up bright and dramatic, I looked almost nothing like the Wonder who used to sing to her dolls when she was young. "I'm coming." I called as I stood up. I could feel the excited butterflies in my stomach. I got them before every show. But tonight, I was going to be on live television in front of millions!

"Are you ready?" Tig asked me as I joined the circle of people holding hands. It was tradition for my dancers and crew to say a prayer before the show starts, just to make sure nothing goes wrong. I nodded my head. "Dear God, thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to travel, to make music, to do what we all love best. Thank you for the chance to make thousands of people smile every night. Allow this show to be one of our best, and let Wonder go on stage giving all she has, as she always does. Please bless everyone here tonight. In your name, amen." Tig finished the prayer.

"Thanks Tig," I smiled. It was moment like these that could put everything into perspective. How many other people got opportunities like I did? Sure, I was a little disappointed about not spending time with Freddy yesterday, but I'd see him after the show tonight. Nothing could bring my mood down before I go on stage.

_This was my time to shine, _I thought as I got into a rolling box that Karl was pushing on the ground. Because I start the show by rising from the below, I must go underneath the stage. Karl always rolls me under inside a box because the space becomes a little tight. Once rolled under, I get helped by Aaron, a member of my crew, out of the box and strapped into a rotating platform. I practiced taking deep breaths as I heard the intro to my show above me.

The show began with a woman dressed in an 18th century white nightgown who talks to the audience briefly before disappearing. There is a video introduction in which different people tell their dreams. At the end of the video, I appear sleeping in a bubble on screen. Once the video ends, a platform with a wheel attached rises several feet above the ground, and I appear strapped to it while wearing a black ensemble. I start rotating in a similar way to a target girl while I start to perform "Oops! ...I Did It Again" with my dancers. "(You Drive Me) Crazy" is performed next with me captured by my dancers. I leave the stage for a costume change while my dancers perform. "Overprotected" is performed next with me surrounded by laser lights. The video backdrop shows images of a bald me, with my hair growing as the song goes along. In the next section, a giant musical box is raised, and I emerge from the middle as a ballerina to perform "Born to Make You Happy". I tear off my tutu and put on a long white satin coat to perform "Lucky" while confetti is shot. The medley ends with a performance of "Sometimes" for which I don a bathrobe.

I return to the stage wearing a tank top with suspenders and pants for a dance-oriented performance of "Boys". The show continues with "Stronger", in which I wear a paint-covered robe and a bowler hat. At the end of the performance, I sit down next to a piano player and talk to the audience before moving into a performance of "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman". A video interlude spoofing Making the Band-type shows follows, showing me and my dancers as a struggling band. I take the stage again in a barge along with four female dancers to perform "I Love Rock 'n' Roll". The barge is lifted by wires, but pyrotechnics below it make it seem as if it is lifted by fire. When it is above the B-stage, I jump to it with bungee cords. There is a skit in which my dancers chase me before I go into a performance of "What It's like to Be Me" on the small stage. I return to the main stage for a performance of "Lonely", in which I dance to a video projection of myself. The dancers and the band perform the "Breakdown" interlude. In "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know", I sing on an elevated platform wearing an evening gown, while two of my dancers perform a routine below me. Artificial snow falls from the ceiling during the performance.

After a brief interlude, I return for a performance of "Anticipating" where I wear a patched denim skirt. The set is made of giant coloring book drawings of houses and cars. I take off the costume to sing "I'm a Slave 4 U" in a jungle setting while surrounded by artificial fog and laser lights. After the song ends, I bow and thank the audience before exiting the stage. The encore begins with a giant projection of a hologram of me onto a water screen. The projection gradually shrinks until I rise from the stage while wearing a plastic cowboy hat, blue hip-huggers, and a matching bra top. I begin performing "...Baby One More Time" in a ballad version until reaching the end of the runway. Pyrotechnics surround the stage while the song changes to a more up-tempo version with elements of techno. My dancers take the main stage while I return to it running through the runway. We jump on the barge while it is lifted into the air and continue to dance. At the end, I jump off the barge with the bungee cords and land on the main stage and exit through a trap door.

Once under the stage, I crawl my way up the stairs where I find Felicia holding out a nice warm towel labeled with my name on it. "Thanks so much, Fe! I'm freezing!"

"Girl, you're drenched!" she pointed out as she wrapped the towel around me and pulled me towards my dressing room. "Having rain on stage looks amazing, but I hope your fans realize that you get yourself soaking wet out there every night for them!"

"All part of the job!" I laughed, still jittery from the performance. "I was so emotional tonight. My fans probably thought I was retarded." I said, thinking back on how I cried when taking a moment to thank the American soldiers and attributing to the lives lost on 9/11. I also cried at the end of the show while looking at all the people in the audience cheering for me. I was soaking wet from the rain, so hopefully nobody noticed. "I was a wreck." I said while wiping the last of my tears.

"Oh honey, they loved you, every single one of them. They're all here tonight to see you." she patted my back.

I took a deep breath as I peeled off my soaked costume and climbed into a pair of comfy sweatpants and a t shirt. "You're right. I'm just having a moment." I explained. Felicia nodded her head. She understood, I got this way after every big show.

"Kayla and Trina are waiting for you by the snacks," she told me. "They didn't want to miss your big night."

"Aw, that's so sweet of them!" I exclaimed with new tears coming to my eyes. "Okay, okay." I said as I wrapped the towel around my soaking hair. "Let's go."

As I walked into the snack room, I was overwhelmed with claps from my crew. "Oh my goodness!" I laughed. "Thanks guys, we all did a great job tonight." I told them earnestly.

Trina ran up to me for a hug. "I'm so proud of you, Wonder. That show was amazing."

"Seriously," Kayla added. "I haven't seen moves like that since Janet Jackson."

"I love you guys!" I engulfed them both in a bear-hug. "Where's Freddy?" I asked suddenly.

Kayla and Trina gave each other a look. "Do you wanna tell her, or should I?" Kayla asked.

"Tell me what?" I demanded.

Trina sighed. "Freddy left for L.A last night."

"What? Why?" I asked, completely frustrated.

"I'm not sure," Trina explained. "I called to meet up with him earlier today and he told me that something came up. It's weird. I don't know." she shrugged helplessly. And just like that, my happy mood was gone. This was supposed to be my night to shine. Where was he?

"Wonder!" Wade called as he ran up to me. He was still soaking wet from performing. "Freddy told me to give you this." He handed me his phone which displayed a text message.

**Wonder, sorry I couldn't make it to your show. There are a few record execs Timbaland wanted me to have a chat with in California. Don't worry I'm recording your show on TiVo! – Freddy.**

"Why couldn't he send _me_ the message?"I whined. "He's being so weird lately."

"I have no idea." Wade responded. "I know this was important to you." he put his arm around my shoulder in a friendly hug. "Whatever, the night is young. We can still have fun."

"Doing what?" I asked numbly.

"Um hello, Earth to Wonder." Kayla snapped her fingers at me. "We're in Vegas! Let's party!"

That idea actually didn't sound half bad to me. "Okay…" I agreed. "Are you guys coming?" I asked Trina and Wade.

Trina shook her head. "I'm sorry girl. I hate to bale on you like this, but I made sure I could come to your show. I really need to be back in L.A tomorrow morning to work on my, you know, solo album." She whispered in my ear.

"No, it's fine." I reassured her with a smile. "Good luck."

"Hey, I'm still in if you are…" Wade poked me.

"Definitely." I agreed.

* * *

><p>I had club experiences before at parties and events, but just going out with Kayla and the dancers felt so <em>free. <em>The night went on into the morning, so it was no wonder that I felt so tired the next day. But it was all innocent. None of us had too much to drink so everything stayed clean. One thing that didn't stay innocent was our dancing. Wade thought it was a great idea to show me some of his moves on the dance floor and I couldn't help but feel a little competitive. All of us dancers battled until we dropped, and it was one of the most fun nights I've had in a long time.

"How are your feet, sweet heart?" Felicia asked me the next day.

"Better, much better." I admitted to her after she ordered a foot spa to be brought up to my suite. I was staying at the Palms Casino Resort, and I could hardly imagine the extent of the services they had here.

"I know all that dancing can really kill your feet." She laughed.

"No kidding! Thanks so much, Fe, for everything!" I was feeling particularly grateful to Felicia because she covered for me last night. It's not as if I'm not allowed to have a good time, but sometimes with Steve it sort of feels that way. She told him that I was so exhausted from the show that I went on up to bed early.

"Oh, it's not a problem, darling." She winked at me. "You deserve to have a great time every once in a while. And hey, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas right!" she laughed.

"I actually really like it here…" I told her. I had never really been to Vegas before and so far it had been very entertaining. I was glad that I had 3 more shows scheduled here, so we were staying five more nights.

That day, I finally got a chance to rest and lay out by the pool (with 50 other people gawking at me- I might add) and go to the spa. Once I felt rested I decided to call Freddy. No answer. I grabbed a pretty martini at the bar near the pool. After about 3 of those, I felt brave enough to call again.

"Hello," said a restless Freddy on the other end.

"Hey, can you talk?" I asked him.

"Not really, but whatever. Talk." he yawned.

"Where are you? Why haven't you been answering my calls?" I asked him.

"Wonder, babe, relax. I've been busy in the studio. This album has me all tied up." He explained.

"ugh," I sighed. "I know, I'm sorry I just really miss you and-"

"Look, can we talk later?" Freddy interrupted "I'm working right now."

"Um, ok, sure. I love you-" Beep. He hung up. _Ugh, _I stared at my phone feeling as lonely as I could feel. I understood he had a lot to do, but so did I. I never blew him off like this. _Did I? _

That night, I decided to get my mind off Freddy by bringing my dancers out again. Kayla left earlier that day so this time it was strictly my crew. The same went for the next night, and the night after that. I would rehearse in the day, do my show at night, and then party until the morning. Surprisingly, Felicia convinced Steve it was no big deal- which it wasn't. As long as I got to rehearsal on time each morning, then a little bit of partying was fine. Plus, Las Vegas had some of the coolest clubs I've seen and the night life was awesome there.

It was our last night in the city and I hadn't heard from Freddy since I called him at the pool. I was planning on playing hard to get, and waiting until he called me, but Felicia told me that if I was worrying I should just call him. So that's what I did.

"Hey," Freddy answered. "Sorry, I forgot to call you back."

"You _forgot_ to call me back?" I repeated, hating how much I sounded like an annoyingly clingy girlfriend. "Freddy, I called you _days ago."_

"I know, okay, I said I was sorry. I've been so busy. Sorry." _Sorry, sorry. _I hated how he said sorry so much. It was starting to lose meaning.

"Busy doing what? Making your album? I've done albums too Freddy. I'm busy too, but I've never forgotten to call you." I ranted, not knowing where all this anger was coming from. "So what is it that's got you all tied up? Did you find another girl?" I asked without thinking. _Why did I ask that?_ I didn't really mean it. I never imagined that Freddy could find someone else. Or maybe I did, somewhere in the back of my mind and I just wasn't admitting it to myself.

"No, Wonder, I haven't!" he sounded really angry now. "You know, I'm tired, I've been working all day and night. I've been busting my ass trying to make this record. Where did you get an idea like that from? I can't believe your acting this way."

He's never been so angry with me before. "I can't believe _your_ acting this way! You've been so busy with everything, you've practically forgotten about me!" I tried to hide the fact that I was crying.

He sighed. I could just imagine his face, all twisted with frustration. "Okay Wonder, your right. Bye." _Click._ That was the second time in a row he hung up on me.

"Wonder, are you okay?" Wade ran up to me as I left my suite, he was walking up towards his room.

"No, not really." I didn't even try to hold back the puddles. Why was I acting so weak? I cried over "happy" things all the time, but I rarely cried over something that upset me.

"What happened? Can I help?" his forehead crinkled with worry.

"No, Wade, I'll be fine. Thanks." I attempted a smile. He really was a good friend. "Freddy and I just got into a small fight…" I felt weird telling him the whole story as he was one of Freddy's best friends.

"Oh, alright." He hugged me. "You probably don't want to talk about it, but if you do, I'm just across the hall." He told me.

"Thank you," I smiled genuinely. "Do you wanna go downstairs and get a drink at the bar?" I asked.

* * *

><p>After having a nice non-Freddy conversation with Wade over a few martinis' I went upstairs to the girls to get ready to go out again. Because I was feeling extra down about the Freddy situation, I decided it wouldn't be too bad to take a couple drinks once we got to the club.<p>

"Whoa girl!" Teresa screamed, spilling her drink on the ground. "Look at those moves." She pointed at me, Wade, and a couple of my other dancers moving like we couldn't stop.

"Wade!" I screamed over the pounding music, "Show me that move again!"

Wade quickly obliged. "I'm incorporating that one into your new music video for _Boys." _He told me as I felt my phone ringing in my back pocket.

"_Shit, _it's Steve!" I muttered as I pressed ignore.

"It's 3:30, maybe we should get heading back to the hotel!" Wade shouted and the girls nodded they're heads.

"Ugh, fine, but I don't want to go!" I whined. Wade took my arm and led me towards the limo outside. Inside, Big Rob was already waiting and Karl followed us once we were all in. They were so sneaky, that sometimes I forgot they were there. "Big Rob! You should have partied with us!" I slurred as I punched him lightly on the arm.

He laughed. "Maybe next time. how many drinks did you have exactly?" he asked.

"Way too many!" Karl answered for him. Did I really take that much?

"Oh yes, definitely." Teresa laughed. Did she just answer my thoughts or did I say that out loud?

"Stevie better not tell me this!" I rambled. "I mean, don't tell Steve about this!"

"Steve is an assagant!" Wade added, taking a gulp from his drink. "You know- like asshole arrogant." He cracked up. _Whoa,_ we all had way too much to drink.

I was lucky to have such great bodyguards, because Big Rob caught me when I practically spilled out of the limo. "Thanks Rob." I laughed hysterically.

"Here I got her," Wade said, putting his arm around my shoulders.

"Are you sure about that?" Karl examined him. "You seem pretty wasted yourself…"

"I can hold my liquor better than her" he winked with both his eyes.

"Sure you can…" Karl replied.

"Wonder? Do you want to go skinny dipping?" Teresa asked me.

"Yes!" I replied, but after a moment I said, "…No… because… no, it sounds like a stupid idea."

"You're right!" Teresa laughed. "Let's just jump in with our clothes!" she said while running off with the other dancers to the pool.

I laughed while Wade sloppily dragged me toward the elevator. Big Rob and Karl went as far as to bring the elevator up to our floor until they left us alone to go on up to they're rooms. I don't think they would have let us walk that far if they didn't know that Tony was placed in the room right next to mine for safety precautions.

"Oops!" I giggled as I fell out of Wade's grip. "I'm so clumsy."

"No kidding. I've never seen you so wasted, like, ever!" he replied.

"Can I hangout in your room?" I asked him when he got out his key to open the door.

"Um no," he laughed, "I'm totally kidding, come in!"

"Shhhhhh!" I scolded him once we got inside. "Everyone's awake! … I mean no one's awake."

"But this is the city that never sleeps!" he yelled again.

I giggled as I pressed my finger to his lips. "No it's not…"

Suddenly I was wrapped in Wade's arms and his lips were engulfing mine in a powerful kiss. "I want you, you know." he told me. "I always have."

"But I thought you were gay…" I told him. I didn't really think he was, but it felt like a funny thing to say.

"I'm not." he hushed me with another kiss. He went on to prove just how not gay he was.


End file.
